Trump brands UK's Chagos deal 'stupidity', links it to Greenland bid

U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized a major diplomatic agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, labeling the UK's plan to transfer sovereignty of the strategic Chagos Islands a reckless act of weakness. On his Truth Social platform, Trump called the deal an "act of total weakness" and "GREAT STUPIDITY," claiming it would embolden U.S. rivals and citing it as a fresh justification for his pursuit of Greenland.

A Vital Base and a Historic Deal

The dispute centers on the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, home to the Diego Garcia military base, a critical and secretive joint UK-US facility since the 1970s. In May 2025, after decades of international legal pressure, the UK signed a treaty to return sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, from which they were separated in 1965. Crucially, the deal includes a 99-year leaseback of Diego Garcia, ensuring continued UK and U.S. military control, at a significant long-term cost. The U.S. State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, initially welcomed the pact as a "monumental achievement" that secured the base's long-term future.

Trump's Reversal and the Greenland Link

President Trump's recent condemnation marks a stark reversal from that previous support. He framed the sovereignty transfer as a gratuitous concession, arguing that "China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness." In a revealing connection, he explicitly linked the Chagos decision to his long-standing ambition to acquire Greenland from Denmark, calling it "another... National Security reason why Greenland has to be acquired." This connects two separate geopolitical issues under a single philosophy of asserting permanent territorial control.

UK's Firm Defense and Domestic Discord

The UK government has firmly defended the agreement. A spokesperson stated the deal was necessary because the base's legal status was "under threat after court decisions undermined our position." They stressed the pact "secures the operations of the joint US-UK base... for generations" with robust safeguards against adversaries. The response has highlighted a deep domestic split: while the governing party stands by the deal, opposition leaders echoed Trump, calling it "complete self sabotage."

Broader Implications and Unresolved Grievances

The controversy underscores a clash between adherence to international law and a realpolitik focus on permanent strategic control. Mauritius insists its sovereignty, affirmed by international courts, "should no longer be subject to debate." Meanwhile, the indigenous Chagossian people, forcibly removed in the 1970s to make way for the base, remain divided and largely excluded from the process, with many in the UK opposing the transfer. For a nation like Türkiye, which closely watches shifts in global power dynamics, the episode demonstrates the fragility of international agreements under changing U.S. administrations and the complex interplay between post-colonial justice and enduring great-power competition.