UK defends Chagos deal with Mauritius, rejects Trump criticism

The United Kingdom has issued a strong rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump's condemnation of a sovereignty agreement concerning the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. A UK government spokesperson asserted that the nation will "never compromise on our national security," directly countering Trump's characterization of the deal as "an act of great stupidity."

Securing the Diego Garcia Base

The core of the UK's position is the preservation of the strategically vital military base on Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Archipelago. The spokesperson explained the agreement was necessitated by court rulings that undermined the UK's legal standing and threatened the base's future operability. The deal, finalized last May, transfers sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while guaranteeing the UK and U.S. continued use of the Diego Garcia facility for the next 99 years.

A Strategic Calculation Against Rivals

Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously framed the agreement as a strategic necessity to counter other global powers. He warned that without a deal, international law could have left the UK unable to prevent nations like China—which has conducted exercises nearby—from establishing their own bases on the outer islands. "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," the spokesperson stated.

International Support and Historical Context

London highlighted that the arrangement has been publicly endorsed by key allies including the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, Japan, and South Korea. Historically, the UK separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence. The recent agreement resolves a long-standing decolonization dispute while aiming to lock in Western military access in a region of growing geopolitical competition.