Washington DC, February 6
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he has held "very productive discussions" with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the strategically located island of Diego Garcia, which hosts a major UK-US joint military base in the Indian Ocean.
Trump said that, though he understood the British Prime Minister had negotiated "the best he could make" under the circumstances, he would never allow the US presence at the military base to be "undermined" or "threatened".
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Diego Garcia as being of "great importance" to US national security due to its central location in the Indian Ocean and its role in supporting American military operations.
"It is the site of a major U.S. Military Base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and therefore, of great importance to the National Security of the United States," Trump said.
Trump credited recent US military successes to the strength of American warfighters, modern military equipment and the strategic positioning of US bases worldwide, including Diego Garcia.
He referred to the lease arrangement of the UK-Mauritius Treaty, signed in 2025, which provides that Mauritius will exercise full sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, with the UK retaining rights on Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period.
Trump said he understood that the British Prime Minister Starmer had negotiated "the best he could make" under the circumstances.
However, Trump warned that the United States would take decisive action if its military presence on the island were ever threatened.
"If the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia, " he said.
Trump also rejected what he described as "fake claims or environmental nonsense" being used to undermine the US presence at the base.
"Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a Base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened," he added.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump criticised the United Kingdom over its plans to give away the Diego Garcia island and called it an act of "great stupidity". He said that London's action is one of several reasons Greenland must be "acquired".He made the remarks on January 20 in a Truth Social post.
The US President said, "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."
Trump's remarks came shortly after the third reading of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill on January 13 in the UK Parliament.
The UK-Mauritius Treaty, signed in 2025, provides that Mauritius will exercise full sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, with the UK retaining rights on Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period.
Over the 99-year period, the UK will pay Mauritius around £3.4 billion at 2025/26 prices. The UK Government says this resolves the long-standing BIOT sovereignty dispute and secures the military base for continued operations in the long term, according to the UK House of Commons Library.
Trump's sharp tone stood in stark contrast to the Biden administration's stance on the treaty, which hailed the historic Chagos archipelago agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius and highlighted how diplomacy can overcome long-standing challenges to reach peaceful, mutually beneficial outcomes.
Former President Biden said the agreement affirms Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while granting the United Kingdom authority to exercise Mauritius's sovereign rights over Diego Garcia.
- ANI
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