Security expert blasts 'abomination' Chagos deal and hails Donald Trump for 'doing the UK a huge favour'

The comments come as Donald Trump has hinted that the UK’s move to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is one of the factors behind his push to seize control of Greenland.

Dr Ibrahim totld Britain's News Channel: "The reality is this deal was an abomination to begin with. And Donald Trump has stepped in at the last moment to torpedo it and send it to the bottom of the Indian Ocean, where it is exactly where it belongs.

"He has actually done the UK a huge favour, whether that was because of Greenland or any other issue. He has actually done our national security and our country a huge favour by torpedoing this.

"It seems to me that this deal is over now. I think what I suspect would happen is that the Government will basically just try to buy some time, and then eventually, in a year or two, they will try to bury it one way or another. But there is simply no way. I just cannot see this going forward.

"The United States can simply annex the entire Chagos Islands without anybody actually doing anything about it. And what makes it very different is that they are actually already there. Unlike Greenland, which everyone is talking about in the US, the US is already in the Chagos Islands.

"If they do not want to give it up, then who is going to force them out? All this has done is drive extra division between the allies."

Martin Daubney said: "The whole point about the Chagos base, of course, was that it was an outpost to keep the red dragon of China at bay.

"And that is exactly the same force coming into play in Greenland. So suddenly Donald Trump can say, 'well, why do you care so much about Greenland, but you do not care about Chagos?'

"We have blatant hypocrisy here in terms of the strategic interests of both the United States and the United Kingdom."

He responded: "That is absolutely clear. There is no doubt, and everybody is aware, that China has ambitions to be a global superpower.

"But before it can become a global superpower, it has to become a regional power. That means extending its influence throughout its entire region, and that includes primarily the Indian Ocean.

"So these islands were absolutely critical in terms of stopping China’s global ambitions.

"Handing them over in such a manner will simply expand China’s field of influence.

"It was only a question of time before China made inroads into these islands and took them over. It feels like everything is very, very much all to play for. Once again, the drama continues with the Chagos Islands."

The US president made the remarks as he stepped up his rhetoric about acquiring Greenland, ahead of travelling to Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday for the World Economic Forum.

Mr Trump posted a series of messages on his Truth Social platform overnight, reigniting speculation about a potential US takeover of Greenland a territory belonging to Washington’s Nato ally, the Kingdom of Denmark.

In one post, he branded the Chagos Islands deal an “act of GREAT STUPIDITY”, marking a clear reversal of his position after backing the agreement last year.

Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago in the Indian Ocean, hosts a strategically vital military base jointly operated by the United States and the United Kingdom.

Under the terms of the deal, Britain has paid Mauritius to lease back Diego Garcia and the base for at least 99 years.

Mr Trump’s public broadside against Sir Keir Starmer comes on January 20, the first anniversary of his inauguration as president, and contrasts sharply with the measured approach adopted by the Prime Minister and other European leaders in recent weeks as they seek to play down tensions over Greenland.