Trump Calls U.K. Deal on Indian Ocean Islands ‘Great Stupidity,’ in Blow to Starmer
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- President Trump criticized Britain’s decision to relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it "an act of great stupidity" and reversing his administration’s previous support for the deal.
- The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, agreed in 2024 to transfer control of the islands after a UN court ruled Britain acted unlawfully in detaching the archipelago from Mauritius in 1965.
- Despite the sovereignty change, the US and UK will continue operating the strategic military base on Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period, a key point emphasized by British officials to reassure national security.
- Trump linked the Chagos Islands issue to his long-standing proposal for the US to acquire Greenland, using the situation to
