Donald Trump hits out at UK’s ‘great stupidity’ in Greenland debate

Donald Trump has branded a foreign policy decision made by the UK as an act of ‘great stupidity’ and said it was further proof why the US needed to acquire Greenland.

Trump has been ramping up the aggressive rhetoric over Greenland in recent days and has insisted the US must take it over whether they do it ‘the easy way’ or ‘the hard way’.

He has also applied tariffs onto countries which have sent troops to Greenland for a military exercise, which includes the UK, in a decision Keir Starmer called ‘completely wrong’.

Starmer yesterday (19 January), held a press conference where he stressed the UK supported Greenland’s right to determine its own future and said he was not interested in getting into a trade war by retaliating against US tariffs.

Now he’s been targeted on Truth Social by Trump who hit out at a decision made by the UK to hand over territory in the Indian Ocean.

However, this decision he attacked on Truth Social was something he himself had previously endorsed.

Taking to social media, Trump wrote: “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.

“There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. These are International Powers who only recognize STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before.

“The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING.

“Thank you for your attention to this matter. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”

What’s the deal Trump is talking about?

For context, the British government has agreed to hand over the Chagos Islands, a group of more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean, over to Mauritius, and will then lease back the island of Diego Garcia which contains a military base for a cost of £101 million a year over a 99 year period and the option to extend the deal by 40 years.

The US has used the military base on Diego Garcia for numerous conflicts, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The island was first settled by the French in the 18th Century, who brought over slaves from Mozambique and Madagascar to work on the colony they established there.

France ceded the islands to the UK in the early 19th Century, and in 1968 at the request of the US the UK expelled the people living there to build the military base on Diego Garcia, with most of them ending up in Mauritius, Seychelles and the UK after their forcible expulsion.

Today, the thousands of Chagossians are not allowed to live on the islands, even the formerly inhabited ones miles away from Diego Garcia.

In 2019, the International Court of Justice gave an advisory opinion saying the UK didn’t have sovereignty over the islands and should give them to Mauritius.

While they are 1,300 miles apart, Mauritius and the Chagos Islands were under the same colonial administration, but separated in 1965 as part of a process for independence for Mauritius.

The deal has been plenty controversial, with people in the UK wondering why their government is giving the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and annual fee to rent the largest island back.

Meanwhile, Chagossians have protested the decision saying they want self-determination rather than the islands being handed over to Mauritius.

The deal was first but together by the Conservatives, but after the 2024 general election Keir Starmer and Labour moved forward with it.

Trump previously supported handing over the islands

While he has called it an ‘act of great stupidity’, back in May last year his administration actually endorsed the deal to hand over the islands.

Trump had called it a ‘very long-term, powerful lease, a very strong lease’ and told Starmer ‘I think we’ll be inclined to go along with your country’ on the deal.

In a statement the Trump administration praised the UK ‘for their leadership, vision, and commitment’, and was confident the deal ‘secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia’.

They said: “President Trump expressed his support for this monumental achievement during his meeting with Prime Minister Starmer at the White House.

“This milestone reflects the enduring strength of the U.S.-UK relationship — a relationship that, as demonstrated by the U.S.-UK trade deal announced on May 8, extends far beyond defense to encompass economic growth, innovation, and shared global leadership.

“Although the United States is not a party to this agreement, we remain responsible for operating the U.S. Naval Support Facility on Diego Garcia, which continues to play a vital role in supporting forward-deployed operational forces and advancing security across the region.

“The United States values its partnership with both the United Kingdom and Mauritius, and we stand ready to continue our collaboration to promote peace, security, and prosperity in the Indian Ocean and beyond.”