Donald Trump criticises ‘stupidity’ of UK’s Chagos Islands deal

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Donald Trump has accused the UK of “stupidity” and “weakness” over its plan to transfer ownership of the Chagos Islands including the US air base of Diego Garcia to Mauritius, citing the move as a reason for Washington to seize Greenland.

“Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

“The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired,” he added.

The UK has signed a long-term deal to hand sovereignty of the islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. Britain will pay more than £100mn a year to guarantee the future of a joint US-UK air base.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had won the Trump administration’s backing for the deal last year after a protracted diplomatic campaign.

This is a developing story