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Thursday, Feb 19, 2026
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Trump Warns UK’s Chagos Islands Agreement Is a “Big Mistake” Amid Strategic Security Debate
U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticizes the agreement transferring Chagos Islands sovereignty to Mauritius, stressing the strategic importance of Diego Garcia and urging the United Kingdom to retain control.
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a forceful statement opposing the United Kingdom’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, saying the arrangement would be “a big mistake” and jeopardize allied security interests.
Trump’s comments came on February 18, 2026, in which he urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to relinquish control of the strategically crucial island of Diego Garcia, a longstanding joint U.S.–UK military base in the Indian Ocean that underpins security operations across the region.
Trump wrote on social media that entering a century-long lease under the current deal would see the United Kingdom “losing control” of the base and warned that the land “should not be taken away” from London.
He stressed that Diego Garcia could be indispensable to any future military action in the Middle East if diplomatic efforts with Iran falter.
The U.S. administration’s public stance has shown internal divergence: while Trump’s post was framed by White House officials as official policy, the U.S. State Department simultaneously reaffirmed support for the United Kingdom’s decision to proceed with the sovereignty transfer and noted plans for bilateral talks with Mauritius on security cooperation at Diego Garcia.
The 2025 deal between London and Port Louis, which remains subject to ratification by both parliaments, envisages full sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory passing to Mauritius while the United Kingdom leases back Diego Garcia for ninety-nine years, with an option for extension.
The arrangement aims to resolve long-running international legal and diplomatic disputes over the archipelago and secure the future operation of the Diego Garcia military base, considered critical for Indo-Pacific and global security.
Trump framed his objections within a broader narrative of allied strength, saying it would be “a blight on our Great Ally” if control of the base were diminished.
The United Kingdom’s government has defended the agreement as ensuring continuity of the base’s strategic utility and addressing longstanding sovereignty issues, even as protests by displaced Chagossians and divisions within British politics continue to unfold.
Trump’s comments came on February 18, 2026, in which he urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to relinquish control of the strategically crucial island of Diego Garcia, a longstanding joint U.S.–UK military base in the Indian Ocean that underpins security operations across the region.
Trump wrote on social media that entering a century-long lease under the current deal would see the United Kingdom “losing control” of the base and warned that the land “should not be taken away” from London.
He stressed that Diego Garcia could be indispensable to any future military action in the Middle East if diplomatic efforts with Iran falter.
The U.S. administration’s public stance has shown internal divergence: while Trump’s post was framed by White House officials as official policy, the U.S. State Department simultaneously reaffirmed support for the United Kingdom’s decision to proceed with the sovereignty transfer and noted plans for bilateral talks with Mauritius on security cooperation at Diego Garcia.
The 2025 deal between London and Port Louis, which remains subject to ratification by both parliaments, envisages full sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory passing to Mauritius while the United Kingdom leases back Diego Garcia for ninety-nine years, with an option for extension.
The arrangement aims to resolve long-running international legal and diplomatic disputes over the archipelago and secure the future operation of the Diego Garcia military base, considered critical for Indo-Pacific and global security.
Trump framed his objections within a broader narrative of allied strength, saying it would be “a blight on our Great Ally” if control of the base were diminished.
The United Kingdom’s government has defended the agreement as ensuring continuity of the base’s strategic utility and addressing longstanding sovereignty issues, even as protests by displaced Chagossians and divisions within British politics continue to unfold.
