3 weeks ago
10
The former MP outlined the islands' history, noting they were acquired by Britain following Napoleon's defeat and were later developed in the 1960s with the United States as a strategic base.
13:28, Tue, Jan 20, 2026 Updated: 13:29, Tue, Jan 20, 2026
US President Donald Trump (Image: Getty)
Donald Trump is using controversy over Britain’s Chagos Islands as a calculated distraction from criticism of his push to bring Greenland under US control, former defence committee chairman Tobias Ellwood has warned. Mr Ellwood, now a Distinguished Fellow at RUSI, highlighted the historical and financial context of the Chagos Islands in a post on X, urging that the debate over Greenland not be overshadowed.
He said: "Let’s not be distracted," emphasising that the UK and US split the costs of maintaining the Diego Garcia military base, around £100 million a year each. He added that international court rulings in favour of Mauritius over sovereignty are non-binding and that a binding decision would only follow. The former MP outlined the islands’ history, noting they were acquired by Britain following Napoleon’s defeat and were later developed in the 1960s with the United States as a strategic base.
TRUMP's Chagos Distraction
??????He agreed the deal - going halves (UK pay the lease - US pay the base upkeep. ~£100m a yr each.
??????Int'l court decisions against UK were non-binding (so ignore them?) A binding decision would only follow.
?????? The history?
We got the islands by… pic.twitter.com/cTimm0NgMH
He said Trump’s Chagos "distraction" was "a pushback from efforts to annex Greenland," criticising attempts to frame the two situations as equivalent.
Greenland has become a flashpoint in international relations. Mr Trump has repeatedly insisted it should fall under US control, refusing to rule out military action, despite the island’s autonomous status within the Kingdom of Denmark and its NATO membership. European governments have expressed concern over the US approach, and protests have taken place across Denmark and Greenland, opposing any potential takeover.
Warnings over the Arctic territory have also come from Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO secretary general and Danish prime minister. Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Rasmussen said Mr Trump’s rhetoric risked destabilising Western unity.
Mr Rasmussen said that the United States is now using language "pretty close to the gangsters that they should control in Moscow and Beijing,” and described the president’s approach to Greenland as unprecedented coercion against a friendly ally.
Mr Rasmussen added that the global focus on Greenland diverts attention from the real threat: Russia’s war in Ukraine. He argued that Western leaders should prioritise bringing Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table rather than inflaming tensions with allies over an Arctic territory, and warned that the US push could undermine solidarity at a crucial moment for Europe’s security.
Mr Ellwood echoed these concerns, noting that Trump’s Chagos commentary was opportunistic. By highlighting a decades-old colonial and military arrangement, he argued, attention is being deflected from a far more serious challenge to the global order.
He also emphasised that the UK had shared the development of Diego Garcia with the US decades ago, with both countries paying for its maintenance. The recent involvement of Mr Trump’s team in the latest agreement, which he once called “a good deal,” further illustrates the strategic, not territorial, nature of Chagos.
The latest news from around the world Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
Protests in Denmark and Greenland have intensified in recent weeks, reflecting popular opposition to any US ambitions in the Arctic. European governments have also begun reviewing strategic reliance on Washington amid concern over the president’s aggressive stance.
Both Mr Ellwood and Mr Rasmussen stressed that failure to take Greenland seriously risks undermining Western unity and destabilising the post-war world order, at a moment when global security is already under strain.
English (US) · 