On September 22 local time, the United States signed a new security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, further expanding its military presence in this Arctic strategic region. Although the agreement does not change Greenland's sovereignty, U.S. President Trump claimed that the United States has gained "permanent control," once again emphasizing the importance of "winning strategies."
On the same day, Trump also had a first face-to-face meeting with British Prime Minister Burnham during the United Nations General Assembly. During this meeting, the agreement signed by Britain regarding the Chagos Islands once again became a focus of attention.
The British newspaper The Times reported on the same day that Trump criticized the UK's decision to transfer the sovereignty of the Chagoss Islands to Mauritius, while continuing to spend money on renting the Diego Garcia military base. He called this a "terrible deal." He believes that Diego Garcia Island is of great significance for the United States' military strategy, and it is necessary to ensure the stable use of this base in the future.
Greenland and the Chagos Archipelago, although both belong to different sovereign countries, are facing a common dilemma among European nations: some islands and regions that are under the control of European allies but have global strategic value are increasingly influenced by American strategic interests. Previously, Denmark and the EU faced pressure regarding Greenland, and now it is the turn of the UK to deal with uncertainties from Washington.
For the UK, the Chagos Archipelago issue was originally a “one stone two birds” arrangement: on one hand, it would end a colonial legacy dispute that had lasted for decades, transferring sovereignty of the island to Mauritius; on the other hand, through a long-term lease agreement, the US and UK would continue to use the Diego Garcia military base. However, after the Trump administration questioned this arrangement again, the British realized that the biggest variable in this agreement was not in the Indian Ocean, but across the Atlantic.
September 22, 2026, New York, USA. U.S. President Trump met with British Prime Minister Berners-Lee during the United Nations General Assembly. Visual China
The Chagos Archipelago is located in the southwestern Indian Ocean, about 750 kilometers northeast of Mauritius. It consists of approximately 60 islands and is situated close to the main shipping routes in the Indian Ocean, the energy transport routes to the Middle East, and the Eastern Africa region. For a long time, there has been a dispute over sovereignty over this archipelago.
In 1965, when Mauritius was still under British colonial rule, Britain separated the Chagoss Archipelago from the administrative jurisdiction of Mauritius and established the “British Indian Ocean Territory”. After Mauritius gained independence, it has long demanded that Britain return sovereignty over the Chagoss Archipelago.
However, what truly gives the Chagoss Islands international strategic significance is not their size, but the largest of these islands—Digorgasia Island.
Since the 1970s, the United States and the United Kingdom have been building military facilities in Diego Garcia. This base boasts a large airport, a deep-water harbor, and logistical capabilities, and has long been considered an important military node for the United States in the Indian Ocean region.
Precisely because of this, the issue of the Chagos Islands has been not only a territorial dispute between Britain and Mauritius, but also involves America's military layout in the Indian Ocean region.
For a long time, the United Kingdom has been under pressure from the international community regarding the issue of the Chagos Islands.
In October 2024, the UK and Mauritius announced the conclusion of a political agreement regarding the future arrangement of the Chagos Islands. According to the bilateral agreement, the UK recognizes Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, while also obtaining the right to continue using the Diego Garcia military base.
On May 22, 2025, the UK and Mauritius officially signed an agreement. According to the terms of the agreement, Mauritius will gain sovereignty over the Chagoss Archipelago, while the UK will retain rights regarding the Diego Garcia military base. The base will continue to be used jointly by the UK and the United States.
The British government emphasized that one of the core objectives of this agreement is to ensure the stable operation of Diego Garcia as an important military base for decades to come. The British Ministry of Defence stated that this agreement will guarantee the long-term existence of the joint military base between the United States and the United Kingdom, and will help safeguard the security interests of both Britain and its allies.
It is worth noting that the United States did not initially oppose this arrangement.
According to Reuters, US Secretary of State Rubicoff has welcomed the agreement. A report by the British Parliament also indicates that the United States previously supported the agreement, and the British government will ensure that the United States continues to use the Diego Garcia military base as one of the important reasons for promoting the agreement.
However, later on, Trump suddenly changed his attitude.
