Donald Trump expressed his disappointment on his Truth Social over the UK’s decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. He called the plans “an act of great stupidity.” According to Trump, this move has made it even more important for him to take control of Greenland. Even though the Chagos islands are 5,800 miles south-east of the UK, they became a part of the country after defeating Napoleon.
Meanwhile, the islands are 1,250 miles away from Mauritius. The islands became a part of the British Indian Ocean Territory instead of being a part of Mauritius. According to the deal, the islands were supposed to be returned to Mauritius once Britain was done with building a defence system.
Trump had agreed to the UK’s handover of Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Now he’s acting “shocked” about it, and misrepresenting the facts.
This rhetoric is dangerous because
– Chagos Islands legally belong to Mauritius as per International Court of Justice rulings.
– UK agreed… pic.twitter.com/PypDwVGfiI
— Shubhangi Sharma (@ItsShubhangi) January 20, 2026
The islands are home to a UK-USA military base on Diego Garcia, making it a point of interest for the US president. This explains his disappointment with the decision. The United Kingdom does not wish to compromise with its national security. Mauritius retaliated and claimed sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the international courts and tribunals.
The court decided that the UK is “under an obligation to bring to an end its administration of the archipelago as rapidly as possible”. The negotiations between the UK and Mauritius, which started in 2022, resulted in the UK accepting international law. According to the terms of the deal between Mauritius and the UK, Britain has a 99-year lease of Diego Garcia.
Trump blasts UK on Truth Social: Handing Chagos Islands (home to vital US base on Diego Garcia) to Mauritius is ‘act of GREAT STUPIDITY’ & ‘total weakness’ China/Russia will exploit. Ties it to Greenland takeover need. U-turn from last year’s endorsement! #Greenland #NATO” pic.twitter.com/egWNNH3dnl
— DR ADNAN ALI (@DrMalko) January 20, 2026
The price for the lease is set to be £101m for 2025-2026 according to current prices, making the total to be £3.4bn. Apart from Trump’s social media post, the US government statement reads, “the agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia.”
The USA has called this base an indispensable platform for its security. On the other hand, the United Kingdom agreed to the deal to ensure its Diego Garcia base is safe from an international legal challenge and the repercussions of international law. Some opposition leaders in Britain have also condemned the decision, considering the islands will be at risk from China and Russia.
