Trump: UK's Chagos Islands Deal is 'Foolish'

Donald Trump has called the UK's agreement to return sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius an act of 'great foolishness.' The island of Diego Garcia, home to a strategically important US-UK airbase, is located in the Chagos Archipelago.

Trump stated that Britain is 'giving away' Diego Garcia 'for no reason,' adding that this is a national security reason to acquire Greenland. 'There is no doubt that China and Russia have taken note of this act of complete weakness,' he noted.

A Downing Street spokesperson responded that the agreement 'secures the operation of the US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations.' The spokesperson also noted that the agreement has been publicly praised by the US, Australia and other partners.

The signing of the agreement was delayed after Trump's inauguration in 2025, giving the new US administration time to review it. In February, Trump had stated that he 'tended to agree' with the agreement.