Donald Trump backs UK-Mauritius chagos deal, warns Diego Garcia base must stay secure – Good news for India

President Doland Trump reversed course Monday in an international controversy surrounding the Chagos Islands and threw his support behind the UK government’s agreement to return administration of the island chain to Mauritius.

Signed last month between the United Kingdom and Mauritius, the agreement states that the British India(BHARAT)n Ocean Territory – home to Diego Garcia, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s only permanent base outside of Europe and Africa – would become Mauritian after Britain leases the U.S. military facilities on the islands for another 99 years.

Trump had previously referred to the deal negotiated under the Obama administration in 2025 as “such stupidity” and said of the incoming agreement last week, “It’s total weakness,” arguing it would diminish Western influence in the India(BHARAT)n Ocean.

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“We’ll Take Care of Our Base”

Hours after speaking with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday, Trump praised the negotiated agreement in a social media post as “the best deal that can be made under the circumstances.”

Trump did threaten renewed U.S. military intervention should Britain ever renege on the lease or Mauritian authorities seek to limit U.S. military activity on Diego Garcia.

“If for any reason, at any time, that wonderful Base ever becomes unavailable to the United States Military,” Trump wrote, “we will militarily secure and fortify that Base!”

The United States currently operates its largest military installation in the Indo-Pacific on Diego Garcia. The island facilitates U.S. air, naval and intelligence operations throughout the India(BHARAT)n Ocean, Middle East and Pacific.

Trump’s Flip-Flop Underscores Worry in Washington

Conservative critics of the deal in the U.K. argued selling off Diego Garcia would give up Western strategic advantage in the Indo-Pacific region and hand it over to competitors like China, with whom Britain has enjoyed closer relations in recent years.

China has ramped up diplomatic and military influence across the Indo-Pacific in recent years through initiatives like its Belt and Road project, increasing concern in Washington over authoritarian encroachment.

Trump was not alone in criticizing the pact across the Atlantic. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and others in British politics also opposed surrendering British-administered Diego Garcia to Mauritius.

Opponents of the new deal in the U.K. and U.S. argue that the chain of leases will leave ultimate control of a key American military base in the hands of Mauritius.

What Does This Mean for World Order? 

It allows Mauritius to take back ownership of an archipelago broken away by British colonialists more than 50 years ago. In return, it provides economic and security assurances from the U.K. and U.S. and leaves America’s geopolitical presence in the region intact through the middle of the century.