Trump Slams UK's Chagos Islands Deal as 'Weakness'; Britain Defends Strategic Base Lease

• US President Donald Trump criticized Britain's deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it an "act of total weakness" and "great stupidity."
• The deal, signed eight months ago, grants Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while securing a 99-year lease for the strategically vital UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
• Britain will pay Mauritius 101 million pounds annually (totaling 3.4 billion pounds over the lease) to maintain the Diego Garcia base, a key military asset in the Indian Ocean used for operations against Houthi, Taliban, and al Qaeda targets.
• The agreement faces international criticism, including from some Chagossians displaced in the 1960s and 70s, and domestic debate in Britain, with opposition leaders calling it "complete self sabotage."
• The Keir Starmer-led British government defends the deal as essential for national security, ensuring the continued operation of the Diego Garcia base and countering growing Chinese influence in the region.

Why It Matters: Trump criticizes UK's Chagos Islands deal as weak, while Britain defends it as vital for national security.