The UK government insists its deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius secures a key US-UK military base, despite criticism from Donald Trump.
LONDON: The UK government has defended a 2025 agreement to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, stating it guarantees the future of a vital joint US-UK military base.
This comes after former US President Donald Trump criticised the deal as an “act of GREAT STUPIDITY” in a social media post.
Trump, who had endorsed the agreement when it was signed last May, also referenced his longstanding claims on Greenland in his criticism.
A UK government spokesperson said the nation’s position remained unchanged, highlighting the deal’s “robust provisions” and international support.
“This deal secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations,” the spokesperson added.
The agreement involves Britain handing the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius and paying to lease the military base on Diego Garcia for 99 years.
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told parliament the UK would have discussions with the US to “remind them of the strength of this deal”.
The UK retained control of the islands after Mauritian independence in the 1960s, forcibly removing thousands of indigenous inhabitants.
A 2019 International Court of Justice ruling advised Britain to return the archipelago to Mauritius following decades of legal disputes.
The UK government argued that ongoing legal challenges had threatened the status of the strategic military base.
The spokesperson described the base as “one of the most significant contributions to the UK and US intelligence and security relationship”.
Diego Garcia served as a key Cold War outpost and later a launchpad for US campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
It was used recently to launch strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen during the Gaza conflict.
Opposition politicians in Britain have criticised the financial terms, which involve an annual payment of £101 million to Mauritius.
The net cost over the 99-year lease is estimated at approximately £3.4 billion when accounting for inflation.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch stated, “Unfortunately on this issue President Trump is right.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said, “Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey argued the government must stand up to Trump, stating “appeasing a bully never works.”
