LONDON: The UK government said on Tuesday its deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius “secures” the future of a key US-UK military base on the Indian Ocean archipelago, after US President Donald Trump accused Britain of “great stupidity.” The US president’s comments mark a major change of position for Trump, who previously endorsed the deal when it was signed in May 2025.

The criticism comes just one day after the UK prime minister called for calm between the US and Nato allies

Chief secretary to Keir Starmer insists that his relationship with the US president is ‘working’

The US president has appeared to change his view on the deal

LONDON: The UK government said on Tuesday its deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius “secures” the future of a key US-UK military base on the Indian Ocean archipelago, after…

Donald Trump has called the plan to transfer sovereignty ‘stupid’ and linked it to his own push to acquire Greenland

US-Präsident Donald Trump attackiert plötzlich nun auch die britische Regierung – wegen einer Vereinbarung, die er selbst noch vor einem Jahr für gut befand. Was steckt hinter…

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe UK government has responded to criticism…

The US president says it is "another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired".

PM’s spokesperson insists government’s position is unchanged and that the US still supports the deal

Ministers say the deal is necessary because international court rulings on Mauritian sovereignty had threatened the future of the base.

London had secured the right to maintain a major joint military base with the US on Diego Garcia. Washington, which in May had called the Indian Ocean archipelago's transfer to…