US President Donald Trump has publicly urged the British government to abandon its deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, warning that long-term leases on strategically vital territory offer no real security guarantee.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated he has repeatedly advised Prime Minister Keir Starmer against proceeding with the agreement, arguing that a lease arrangement leaves the UK without genuine control of Diego Garcia — the archipelago’s largest island and a critical base used jointly by British and American armed forces.
“Leases are no good when it comes to Countries,” Trump wrote, adding that Starmer was making “a big mistake” by entering what he described as a 100-year lease arrangement. Under the current terms of the deal, the UK would cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back for a period of 99 years.
Trump also pointed to the island’s geographic importance, describing Diego Garcia as “strategically located in the Indian Ocean” and warning that Britain risked losing control of it to what he called “entities never known of before.”
The comments carry added weight given their timing. Washington formally backed London’s plan to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius just a day earlier on Tuesday, making Trump’s social media post a notable departure from his own administration’s stated position. Talks between US and Mauritian officials are scheduled for next week.
Despite his criticism of the deal’s structure, Trump stopped short of withdrawing American support for the UK entirely, reaffirming that the United States would “always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K.” He did, however, attach a condition — urging Britain to “remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them.”
Trump also warned that proceeding with the handover would be “a blight on our Great Ally” and that “this land should not be taken away from the U.K.”
The Chagos Islands deal has faced sustained scrutiny from both sides of the Atlantic since negotiations began. The agreement still requires final sign-off, and the fresh intervention from the White House is likely to add pressure on the Starmer government as it looks to conclude the arrangement in the coming months.
