Jan. 20 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Britain’s plans to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius were “an act of Great Stupidity” that underscored his argument as to why the United States had to acquire Greenland on grounds of national security.
In a post on his Truth Social platform in which he mockingly referred to Britain as “our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally,” he accused it of giving away the Chagos island of Diego Garcia, home to a strategically key U.S. military base, for no reason.
“There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. 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. The U.K. 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,” Trump wrote.
He demanded that Denmark and its European allies “do the right thing.”
The criticism came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized Trump’s announcement Friday that the United States will impose a 10% tariff from Feb. 1 — rising to 25% on June 1 — on imports from countries that oppose his plan to take over Greenland, including Britain, France, Germany, Denmark and four other European NATO member states.
In a statement Monday, Starmer reiterated his stance that Greenland’s future was a decision for the island’s people and Denmark alone and called the use of tariffs by the United States against its allies “completely wrong.”
He also stressed that Denmark was a close ally of Britain and the United States that had “stood shoulder to shoulder with us, including at real human cost,” a reference to Denmark’s participation in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, where they suffered the highest casualty rate proportionately.
The Chagos agreement in May to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius but lease back Diego Garcia in a 99-year deal for $136 million a year, was hailed by Washington at the time as an “historic” achievement in retaining the use of the base that reflected the “enduring strength and of the U.S.-U.K. relationship.”
“We commend both the United Kingdom and Mauritius for their leadership, vision, and commitment to ensure Diego Garcia remains fully operational for the duration of this agreement,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
“This is a critical asset for regional and global security. President Trump expressed his support for this monumental achievement during his meeting with Prime Minister Starmer at the White House,” added Rubio.
The agreement, which came six years after a May 2019 International Court of Justice ruling and a U.N. General Assembly resolution demanded Britain cede control of the islands within six months, is currently bogged down in parliament, which must ratify it, where it is facing pushback on the Diego Garcia elements.
It is also being challenged in the courts by three Chagossians who accuse the British government of breaking the law by failing to “adequately and lawfully consult with the Chagossian people” with regard to their “right to abode” in the islands.
Opponents, including the opposition Conservatives, argue the agreement was a strategic and costly mistake that Britain didn’t need to make because the ICJ and U.N. rulings were not binding.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., brushed off the trans-Atlantic spat on a visit to London on Tuesday, telling MPs in the House of Commons that the U.S.-U.K. “special relationship” was not in danger.
He said that when he met with Starmer on Monday, he agreed with his assessment that the strong and constructive partnership over decades was built on “mutual respect” and was results-focused.
“I thought that was exactly the right message and the right tone, and because of that we’ve always been able to work through our differences calmly, as friends. We will continue to do that,” Johnson said.
He indicated that he was acting with Trump’s blessing, saying he had spoken with him at length on Monday before departing for London.
“I told him that I felt that my mission here today was to encourage our friends and help to calm the waters, so to speak, and I hope to do so.
“I am confident that we can and will maintain and strengthen our special relationship between these two nations, send a message of unity and resolve to our allies around the world, and remind our adversaries and the terrorists and tyrants everywhere that our nations, that are dedicated to freedom and justice… are stronger and more resolved now than ever before.”
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