Trump blasts UK for 'stupid' decision to hand over Chagos Islands
By Abigail Townsend
Date: Tuesday 20 Jan 2026
(Sharecast News) - Donald Trump lambasted the UK over the Chagos Islands on Tuesday, calling a decision to transfer ownership to Mauritius "an act of great stupidity", as tensions continued to mount over the US president's plans to annexe Greenland.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: "Shockingly, our "brilliant" NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital US Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER."
He called it an "act of total weakness", that China and Russia would have noticed. "These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before."
Trump concluded: "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.
"Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING."
The Trump administration had previously approved the Chagos Islands deal.
The UK government agreed to transfer sovereignty last year, arguing that both it and the US risked losing access to the Diego Garcia air base under international law. In return, it was agreed that the UK and US will be able to use the base for at least another 99 years.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio said at the time that the US welcomed the "historic agreement", which "secures the long-term, stable and effective operation" of the base.
Trump's early morning Truth Social post was uploaded during his flight to Switzerland, where he is due to meet fellow leaders at the Word Economic Forum in Davos.
Other posts made during the flight included two AI-generated images, one of which depicted Trump meeting European leaders in the Oval Office, including Ursula von der Leyen and Keir Starmer, next to a map of America that included Greenland.
The other was of himself, vice president JD Vance and Rubio planting a US flag next to a sign saying "Greenland, US territory est 2026".
Trump is adamant that the US should take ownership of Greenland, despite widespread global opposition and vocal opposition in Greenland. Over the weekend, he said Nato allies, including the UK, would be hit with tariffs of 10% from 1 February after they deployed troops to the island.
The European Union is considering possible retaliatory levies. On Monday Starmer appeared to adopt a more conciliatory tone, insisting a trade war was "in no one's interest" and calling the US a "close ally".
However, he also insisted that it was for the people of Greenland and Denmark alone to decide the island's future.
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