Donald Trump said on Thursday, February 5, that he understood British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal, which transfers Diego Garcia to Mauritius while keeping the US-UK military base, was “the best he could make,” despite weeks of fiery criticism. The US president and Starmer had a phone call to discuss the agreement; Downing Street said they “agreed on the importance of the deal to secure the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia.” In a Truth Social post, Trump warned that if the lease ever collapsed, the US “retains the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia.”
This marks a sharp U-turn for Trump. In January, he had publicly blasted the deal as “an act of total weakness” and “GREAT STUPIDITY.” Trump had thundered that the UK was “planning to give away” the island’s vital base “for no reason whatsoever,” and suggested the US should take control of Greenland to punish the UK. Only a few months earlier, however, the Trump administration had praised the same agreement as “historic,” commending Britain and Mauritius for ensuring Diego Garcia remained operational.
Starmer’s government negotiated the 2025 treaty under pressure from an international court ruling that Britain’s control of the Chagos Islands was unlawful. Under the new deal, London cedes sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius while granting the US and UK a 99-year lease on the military base. The deal still awaits final ratification in Parliament. Downing Street noted that Trump “expressed support” during the call and that the leaders would work together on implementation. UK officials have consistently argued the agreement secures long-term basing rights and avoids litigation, a point echoed by former Trump officials who called it a “monumental achievement.”
Trump’s latest comments underscore a hawkish shift. By explicitly reserving the right to use force, he has signaled American willingness to intervene if the agreement falters. Trump vowed “to militarily secure” Diego Garcia if threatened. Observers note that such threats are extraordinary between close allies: most US officials had already told the UK not to worry that the deal would disrupt basing. Last spring, for example, Pentagon leaders assured allies that Diego Garcia would remain available. Trump’s remarks suggest he is positioning himself as the ultimate guarantor of the base, even if it strains relations.
Domestic politics also play a role. The January outburst came amid transatlantic tensions over Trump’s Greenland gambit, which upset both Starmer and Danish leaders. Starmer insisted after his summit with Trump this week that the president “initially backed” the Diego Garcia deal. But others in London had questioned the deal’s terms, citing concerns over its £35 billion price tag and legal necessity. Still, Foreign Office spokespeople maintain the treaty defuses a looming legal challenge and protects the base.
For now, the key facts are clear: Britain will transfer formal control of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius while securing the Diego Garcia base for US-UK forces. Donald Trump, after ridiculing the move as weak, has thrown his support behind Starmer’s course, albeit with a warning shot. As London races to finalize the treaty, Trump’s promise to “never allow” the base to be compromised leaves the specter of American intervention looming in the background.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Britain expelled the Chagossian inhabitants of Diego Garcia to build the US-UK military base. The islanders were removed to Mauritius and elsewhere and remain displaced; UK courts never restored their right to return. In 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled Britain’s continued control wrongful and called for decolonization. The 2025 UK-Mauritius sovereignty deal hands the Chagos Islands to Mauritius but leaves the base lease intact; it does not grant Chagossians the right of return or address their claims.
