Former US President Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on the United Kingdom, citing its decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as a key reason for his renewed ambition to acquire Greenland.
Trump's Social Media Tirade on International Deals
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform overnight on Tuesday, Donald Trump lambasted the UK's foreign policy. He was writing ahead of a trip to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. The former president claimed Britain's move to cede the islands, which host the vital US military base on Diego Garcia, was an inexplicable act of weakness that had been noted by global rivals.
"Shockingly, our 'brilliant' Nato Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia... to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER," Trump wrote. He asserted that China and Russia would see this as a sign of frailty, stating such powers "only recognise STRENGTH."
Linking Chagos to Arctic Ambitions
Trump explicitly connected the UK's actions to his long-standing desire for the United States to take over Greenland, a vast autonomous territory of Denmark, a fellow NATO member. He framed the potential acquisition as a matter of national security.
"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 declared in his post. This rhetoric significantly ramps up his previous public comments about purchasing the Arctic territory.
Background and Domestic Reaction
The controversy stems from the UK government's plan, which prompted a protest outside Parliament in January. The UK has faced decades of international pressure over the Chagos Archipelago, from which it forcibly removed inhabitants in the late 1960s and 1970s to allow the US to build the Diego Garcia base.
Trump's intervention, using characteristically blunt language, throws a new geopolitical spotlight on the issue. It frames a bilateral negotiation between the UK and Mauritius within his broader worldview of transactional international relations and perceived displays of power.
Key facts from the episode include:
- Date: Trump's posts were made overnight on Tuesday ahead of the Davos forum.
- Location: The disputed territory is the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.
- Key Site: Diego Garcia, a strategically crucial US military base.
- Claim: Trump directly links the UK's action to justifying a US takeover of Greenland.
The former president's comments are likely to provoke strong reactions in London, Port Louis, and Copenhagen, while underscoring how legacy colonial disputes continue to resonate in modern geopolitics.
