.svg)
Donald Trump has claimed that the UK’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is one of the factors behind his renewed push for the United States to take control of Greenland.
While travelling to Davos for the World Economic Forum, the US president intensified his rhetoric on acquiring the Danish-controlled Arctic territory. In a series of overnight posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticised Britain—one of the US’s Nato allies—for agreeing to hand over Diego Garcia, home to a key US military base.
Trump described the move as a reckless act, arguing that Britain was giving up strategically vital territory “for no reason whatsoever.” He warned that global rivals such as China and Russia would interpret the decision as a sign of weakness, claiming that such powers only respect strength. He said this was further evidence of why the US should secure Greenland for national security reasons.
His remarks reportedly caught Downing Street off guard, particularly because US secretary of state Marco Rubio had previously supported the Chagos agreement when it was approved.
The comments have strengthened opposition from Conservative and Reform UK politicians, who argue the deal undermines British security. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said Trump’s stance confirmed Labour’s decision was costly and dangerous, urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to abandon the agreement. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage welcomed Trump’s intervention, claiming it had effectively blocked the handover.
Britain has agreed to a £3.4bn deal transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, though it will lease Diego Garcia for 99 years to maintain the joint US-UK military base. The agreement continues to face resistance in the House of Lords. Reform UK MP Andrew Rosindell recently cited the Chagos issue as a key reason for defecting from the Conservatives.
The government has previously argued the deal was legally unavoidable and supported by allies including the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In 2021, a UN court issued an advisory opinion stating the UK did not have lawful sovereignty over the islands.
When the agreement was finalised in May 2025, Rubio publicly welcomed it, calling Diego Garcia essential to global security and describing the deal as a milestone in US-UK relations, endorsed by Trump during talks with Starmer.
Opponents, however, warn that Mauritius’s close ties with China could give Beijing greater influence in the region—concerns Trump has repeatedly cited when justifying his ambition to bring Greenland under US control.
