@Breaking911
(dated January 20, 2026):Trump's statement (shared via Truth Social and reposted by Breaking911):President Donald J. Trump strongly criticized the United Kingdom's decision to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands (including Diego Garcia, home to a key joint US-UK military base) to Mauritius. He called it an act of "GREAT STUPIDITY" and "total weakness," arguing there's "NO REASON WHATSOEVER" for it. He claimed China and Russia will see this as a sign of weakness from a major NATO ally.Trump tied this directly to his long-standing interest in acquiring Greenland, stating that the UK's move is "another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired." He urged Denmark and its European allies to "DO THE RIGHT THING."Key background on the deal (as of January 2026):
  • The UK-Mauritius agreement was signed in May 2025 under PM Keir Starmer.
  • The UK cedes sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius (a former British colony).
  • In return, the UK leases back Diego Garcia for 99 years (with possible extension), paying approximately £101 million (~$136 million) per year to secure continued operation of the vital US-UK military base.
  • The base on Diego Garcia supports major operations (e.g., strikes in Yemen, Afghanistan, humanitarian missions).
  • The deal followed years of legal pressure, including a 2019 ICJ advisory opinion that the UK's separation of the islands from Mauritius in 1965 was unlawful.
  • The US administration initially supported/endorsed the agreement in 2025 (including statements from Secretary of State Marco Rubio), but Trump's January 20, 2026 post represents a clear reversal and public rebuke.
  • The UK government defended the deal as necessary for long-term base security (after court rulings threatened its future) and said it has backing from Five Eyes allies.
Trump's post reignited debate in the UK, with opposition figures (Conservatives, Reform UK) using it to attack Starmer's Labour government, while Downing Street insisted the arrangement protects national security and won't change.The attached image in the Breaking911 post is likely a screenshot or graphic of Trump's full Truth Social message. This fits Trump's classic "strength vs. weakness" foreign policy framing, and revives his 2019 Greenland acquisition rhetoric in a new context.