Most people have never heard of the Chagos Islands. They sit quietly in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Britain has controlled them since 1814. For decades, Mauritius has said the islands belong to them. The UK kept refusing to hand them over. The reason was simple. Military strategy.
That dispute dragged on for years. Then, on 22 May 2025, it finally ended. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement transferring the islands to Mauritius. In return, a joint UK and US military base would stay put for 99 years. There is also an option to extend it by another 40 years later.
The Chagos Islands deal was seen as a Diplomatic win
The agreement was widely praised. Both sides compromised. Both sides got what they needed. It became an example of how international disputes should be resolved.
Donald Trump had the power to block the deal. The base involves the US, so he held a veto. He chose not to use it. In fact, he openly supported the agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio even confirmed Trump’s backing after a White House meeting with Starmer.
Rubio said the deal protected long term US and UK military interests. He described the Diego Garcia base as critical for global security. At the time, everything seemed settled.
Trump now calls his own approved deal “great stupidity”
Fast forward to now. Trump appears to have forgotten all of it.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump attacked the UK for giving away Diego Garcia. He called it an act of weakness. He claimed China and Russia would take advantage. He described the move as great stupidity. He even used it to justify his push to acquire Greenland.
There is one problem. Trump approved this deal himself.
He had the chance to stop it. He did not. The treaty is signed. The ink is dry. There is no undoing it now.
For America’s allies, this episode is alarming. It suggests the US cannot be relied on. Agreements mean little if a president forgets signing off on them. In diplomacy, memory matters. Consistency matters.
A leader who attacks his own decisions months later creates chaos. Long term negotiations require trust. Right now, many allies are questioning whether that trust still exists.
