President Trump Reverses US Stance to Criticize UK Deal on Chagos Islands Sovereignty

President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s agreement to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, citing security risks.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 19, 2026, 3:25 AM EST

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Politico

A Sudden Shift in Diplomatic Tone

In a social media post that has sent ripples through the diplomatic community, President Donald Trump has condemned the agreement reached between the United Kingdom and Mauritius concerning the Chagos Islands. The deal, spearheaded by the Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aims to settle a decades-long sovereignty dispute by transferring the archipelago to Mauritius while securing a 99-year lease for the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base. Trump’s vocal opposition marks a dramatic departure from the official U.S. position held just hours prior, when the State Department had signaled its continued backing of the transition.

Strategic Concerns and the Diego Garcia Base

The core of the President’s criticism centers on the long-term security of Diego Garcia, a facility often referred to as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier" for its role in U.S. operations across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. Trump expressed concerns that ceding sovereignty to Mauritius—a nation with growing economic ties to China—could eventually allow adversarial influence to creep into the region. By labeling the deal a "disaster," the President has signaled that his administration may seek to review or exert pressure on the terms of the agreement, despite the British government’s insistence that the military base’s operations are fully protected.

Friction Within the Special Relationship

This public rebuke comes at a delicate time for the "Special Relationship" between the U.S. and the UK. Prime Minister Starmer has defended the Chagos deal as a necessary step to uphold international law and end legal challenges that were damaging Britain’s reputation. However, Trump’s willingness to bypass traditional diplomatic channels to blast a close ally suggests a more transactional and unpredictable era of transatlantic cooperation. The criticism adds significant domestic political pressure on Starmer, as Conservative opponents in Westminster have already been vocal in their disapproval of the "surrender" of British Indian Ocean Territory.