Trump says UK’s Chagos deal is an ‘act of great stupidity’ and another reason to take over Greenland

US president says UK’s plan to hand over the islands to Mauritius is among the ‘long line’ of reasons why Greenland has to be acquired

Picture: Yuri Gripas/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

The US president, Donald Trump, has suggested Britain’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is among the reasons he wants to take over Greenland.

In a Truth Social post, he said the UK’s plan to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is an “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY”. He 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. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP."

The text message from Emmanuel Macron that Mr Trump shared on his Truth Social platform as a screenshot was authentic, a source close to the French president said on Tuesday morning.

“It demonstrates that the French president defends the same line in public as in private,” the source said, quoted by Reuters.

Mr Macron told Mr Trump that he could set up a meeting after Davos in Paris on Thursday afternoon, the message showed.

Mr Trump’s reply, if any, was not part of the screenshot.

This comes as Mr Trump has said he had a “very good” telephone call with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte concerning Greenland.

The US president also said he had agreed to a meeting of various parties in Davos at the World Economic Forum (WEF), while not specifying who the parties were, Reuters reports.