U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hold a press conference after meeting at Checkers, near Aylesbury, England, on September 18, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
US President Donald Trump has targeted another NATO ally, this time criticizing Britain, ahead of his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
The so-called “special relationship” between the United States and Britain, as well as President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was left bruised after Trump on Tuesday slammed London’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The archipelago also includes Diego Garcia Island, which is home to a joint Anglo-American military base. The deal, agreed in May 2025, saw the British government cede sovereignty to Mauritius while agreeing to lease the Diego Garcia military base for 101 million pounds ($135.7 million) a year.
The White House signaled support for the deal last year, but President Trump said Tuesday it was a “very stupid thing to do.”
“Shockingly, our ‘illustrious’ NATO ally, the United Kingdom, is now planning to cede Diego Garcia Island, site of a vital US military base, to Mauritius, and will do so without any reason whatsoever,” President Trump posted on social media platform Truth Social early Tuesday morning.
The president said China and Russia viewed this act as one of “total weakness” and said that both countries are international powers that only recognize strength.
“It would be a very foolish move for the UK to cede such vital land, and it is another of the very long national security reasons why we must acquire Greenland.”
He added that Denmark and its European allies must do the “right thing” in opposing Trump’s takeover bid.
rift between allies
President Trump’s comments come amid a deepening rift between the United States and its European NATO allies, including Britain and France, over the president’s continued pursuit of Greenland, a Danish territory in the Arctic Circle.
Greenland, Denmark and European leaders have said the island is not for sale, but President Trump has not ruled out using military force to seize the territory if necessary. He also threatened to raise tariffs on Europe’s eight North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies if they continue to block the proposed takeover.
Britain is the second NATO ally to come under fire from President Trump in recent days, with the president threatening to impose 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne on Monday after French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly refused to serve on Trump’s “peace committee” for the Gaza Strip.
The UK is working to ease tensions between the US and Europe, calling for calm discussions and further debate over Greenland.
Starmer told a press conference on Monday that while Britain highly values its long-standing special relationship with the United States, only Greenland and Denmark can decide on the island’s future.
People holding Greenlandic flags gather in front of the U.S. Consulate General in Nuuk, Greenland, on January 17, 2026, to protest U.S. President Donald Trump and his announced intentions to acquire Greenland.
Sean Gallup Getty Images News | Getty Images
“The right way to tackle this serious problem in Greenland is to have calm discussions between our allies,” Starmer told a press conference in Downing Street.
“But there are principles here that cannot be set aside. They go to the heart of how stable and reliable international cooperation works, and any decisions regarding Greenland’s future status belong solely to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark,” he added.
Starmer spoke with President Trump on Sunday night and said he was wrong to threaten to impose new tariffs on NATO allies unless they agreed to Trump’s demand to “buy” Greenland.
Starmer and Trump have always appeared to enjoy a warm and respectful relationship despite their political differences.
Britain became the first country to strike a trade deal with Washington last year, largely due to President Trump’s apparent warmth towards the country. The US president indulged in all the glitz and glamor Britain could muster during a state visit last autumn.
