On Wednesday, February 18, President Trump posted on Truth Social urging UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to proceed with a deal transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Under the agreement finalized in 2025, the UK cedes sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius while retaining a 99-year lease (extendable by 40 years) on Diego Garcia for the joint UK-US military base, at an annual cost of approximately $135 million paid by the UK.
This reversal came one day after the US State Department publicly stated it 'supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius.' Trump's post called Mauritius's territorial claims 'fictitious in nature,' warned that a lease was insufficient security given potential military needs against Iran, and urged Starmer to 'remain strong in the face of Wokeism.'
This is Trump's third position change: he first called the deal 'an act of great stupidity' in January, then endorsed it as 'the best deal' Starmer could make in early February, and now opposes it again. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the Truth Social post represents official administration policy, creating a direct contradiction with the State Department's statement from the previous day.
The historical context: the Chagos Islands became British territory in 1814. In the 1960s, the UK separated the islands from Mauritius before its independence, then expelled the indigenous Chagossian population to build the Diego Garcia base. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled the UK should relinquish control. Separately, Chagossian activists landed on a remote atoll this week in protest, and British authorities issued removal orders against them.
