Donald Trump has called the UK’s decision to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” and has used it as a further justification for his plans to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Nato ally Denmark.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: “there is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before”.
The Chagos Archipelago is a remote but strategic chain of roughly 60 small islands located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The biggest island is Diego Garcia, which is home to a joint UK-US military base that is set to be leased for use for 99 years in order to continue its operations.
Trump’s outburst marks a significant reversal from his previous position, and is likely due to his perception that the deal is diminishing US influence at a time when tensions between Russia, China and the US are steadily rising.
During a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer last February, Trump said: “I think we’ll be inclined to go along with your country”, in relation to the decision to hand over sovereignty to Mauritius.
And after the agreement was signed last year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that Washington “welcomed” the deal. Rubio added that it secured the “long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia”, which he described as a “critical asset for regional and global security”.
What is the UK’s history with the Chagos Islands?
The UK have controlled the Chagos Islands, located between the coast of Tanzania and the Indonesia archipelago, since 1814, when they were ceded by the French.
Diego Garcia became a major strategic base for the British and Americans in 1971, at the expense of the remaining 2000 native Chagossians who lived there, who were mostly relocated to Mauritius.
In 2019, the International Criminal Court ruled that the British administration of the islands was illegal and against the UN’s decolonising conventions. Starmer then negotiated a deal for the Chagossians to return and for the islands to be administered by Mauritius.
Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago (Photo: maps4media via Getty Images)The leasing of Diego Garcia will cost the UK £120 million annually, totalling around £13 billion over 99 years.
A UK Government spokesperson said it had acted “because the base on Diego Garcia was under threat after court decisions undermined our position and would have prevented it operating as intended in future.
“This deal secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations, with robust provisions for keeping its unique capabilities intact and our adversaries out. It has been publicly welcomed by the US, Australia and all other Five Eyes allies, as well as key international partners including India, Japan and South Korea.”
Why is Trump unhappy?
Trump has pursuing an aggressive foreign policy strategy in recent months and has shown himself unafraid to anger allies and rivals alike with military threats and strikes against Venezuela and other countries
With a world order that now seems to adhere to the principal of “might is right”, the US President likely sees the Chagos deal as a step backwards for US global influence.
On top of this, Mauritius has been developing closer ties with China, raising questions as to whether the country is a reliable ally of the West, and whether this could pose a danger to the base on Diego Garcia as the land surrounding it is now Mauritian.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch posted on X that: “Paying to surrender the Chagos Islands is not just an act of stupidity, but of complete self sabotage.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has also been critical of the deal, said on X: “Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands.”
Will the deal still go ahead?
Despite being agreed last May, the treaty is still making its way through parliament and could face a veto from Trump, who was given that right when the deal was drawn up.
David Lammy, the then UK foreign secretary, suggested last year that the UK would not go through with the treaty if Trump opposed it.
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Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey pointed to Trump’s latest statement as proof that Starmer’s approach to the US President “has failed”.
“The Chagos Deal was sold as proof the government could work with him, now it’s falling apart. It’s time for the government to stand up to Trump; appeasing a bully never works.”
The UK government has yet to announce any changes of plan.
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