The UK Government has defended a deal to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back the key military base of Diego Garcia after US President Donald Trump described the deal as an “act of great stupidity”. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: “There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness” adding that the giveaway was “another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.” A Labour spokesman said the deal “secures the operations of the joint US-UK base for generations.” But critics say it was prompted by a non-binding judgement from the ICJ whose vice-president at the time was Chinese. Objectors also point out that Sir Keir Starmer asserts that Greenlanders should determine the future of their country, but gave no such opportunity for Chagossians. The agreement, which experts say could cost over £30bn, is facing opposition from the House of Lords.
