In a scathing critique, former US President Donald Trump has lambasted the UK’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, describing it as an act of “great stupidity” that is “another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.”
Trump’s comments, posted on his Truth Social platform, come as the UK faces mounting pressure over its handling of the long-running territorial dispute with Mauritius. The Chagos Islands, a strategically important archipelago in the Indian Ocean, have been the subject of a protracted legal and diplomatic battle between the two nations.
The UK has maintained control over the islands since the 1960s, when it forcibly removed the native Chagossian population and allowed the US to establish a military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia. This move has been widely condemned as a violation of international law and human rights.
In a landmark ruling in 2019, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advised that the UK should hand over control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which has long claimed sovereignty over the territory. The UK, however, has so far resisted calls to comply with the ICJ’s decision, arguing that the islands are essential for its military operations in the region.
Trump’s intervention in the dispute is seen by some as an attempt to further undermine the UK’s position on the global stage. The former president has long been critical of the UK’s foreign policy decisions, particularly its close relationship with the European Union.
In his Truth Social post, Trump suggested that the UK’s “great stupidity” in ceding the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is yet another reason why the US should acquire Greenland, a territory that has also been the subject of controversy and diplomatic tensions.
The UK government has yet to respond directly to Trump’s comments, but the ongoing Chagos Islands dispute continues to be a significant diplomatic challenge for the country. As the international pressure mounts, the UK will likely face increasing scrutiny over its handling of the issue and its implications for its global standing.
