US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Britain's plan to cede sovereignty over the island of Diego Garcia in the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius was "an act of utter weakness", adding that it was "another in a very long line of national security reasons why Greenland must be taken over", Reuters reported.
The island of Diego Garcia is home to a strategically important US-British air base in the Indian Ocean.
The UK and Mauritius reached an agreement last year to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, with Britain retaining control of the air base through a long-term lease.
Trump wrote on his Truth social media account: "It is shocking that our 'brilliant' NATO ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give the island of Diego Garcia, site of a vital US military base, to Mauritius, for no reason at all."
Trump said there was no doubt that "China and Russia have noticed this action" by Britain.
The UK government did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Trump has previously said that the growing presence of China and Russia makes Greenland crucial to the security interests of the United States and has repeatedly insisted that he will not agree to anything less than ownership of Greenland.
Britain's deal with Mauritius was delayed after Trump's inauguration in January 2025, as London wanted to give the new administration time to consider the details of the plan.
In February of that year, Trump indicated that he was "inclined to agree" with the UK on the agreement.
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