Mette Frederiksen
Role at the time: Prime Minister of Denmark, in a press release of the Danish Prime Minister's Office issued jointly with the Government of Greenland
Statement summary
In a press release issued jointly with Greenland's government, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was glad that Greenland, Denmark and the United States were about to make an agreement that strengthens common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. She said it also recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination; the release does not mention Trump's description of the agreement and says entry into force is subject to national parliamentary procedures. The quotation is from the official English version of the release; the Danish original says 'a good agreement' (god aftale) where the English says 'a great agreement'.
“I am glad that we are about to make a great agreement for Greenland, the Kingdom of Denmark, and the United States. An agreement which strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic Area and therefore is great for NATO and Europe as well. And an agreement which at the same time recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination.”
Official English version of the joint press release, hosted by the Danish Prime Minister's Office; the page shows the date 9/18/2026 but no time of day. The quotation is a contiguous substring of the English text. Danish original of the same passage (stm.dk, dated 18.09.2026): 'Jeg er glad for, at der er udsigt til en god aftale for Grønland, Kongeriget Danmark og USA. En aftale, der styrker vores fælles sikkerhed i Arktis og det nordatlantiske område og dermed også er god for NATO og Europa. Og en aftale, der samtidig anerkender Kongerigets suverænitet og territoriale integritet og det grønlandske folks ret til selvbestemmelse.' The Danish opening means 'I am glad that there is the prospect of a good agreement', whereas the official English says 'we are about to make a great agreement'; the quotation follows the official English version. BBC, CBS and ABC print their own English translations of the Danish. The release's lead says the three governments are expected to sign the agreement at the UN General Assembly next week and that it then enters into force subject to the necessary national parliamentary procedures; that lead is not Frederiksen's own quoted wording.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The case's fixed reference point is Trump's description of the not-yet-signed agreement as giving the United States permanent control over security and all other needs in Greenland. Frederiksen welcomes the expected agreement as great for the three parties, NATO and Europe while stating that it at the same time recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom and the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination, and the joint release she is quoted in makes entry into force subject to national parliamentary procedures; she neither mentions nor disputes Trump's description. The closest competing label is defends_or_excuses, because she calls the agreement great. That loses because she does not affirm the description Trump gives of it, and her welcome is paired with the sovereignty and self-determination clause and the release's parliamentary condition, so it is not a clean endorsement of the deal as Trump and Rubio describe it.