🔗 Share this article

In a move reminiscent of fictional guards, the Danish foreign affairs department has created a night watch unit—far from guarding against mythical threats, but to monitor Donald Trump as Copenhagen sleeps.

This night watch starts at 5 p.m. in Denmark each day and concludes with a summary compiled at 7am, which is then distributed across government departments and concerned agencies detailing what was said and developments taking place.

This position is understood to have been established in the wake of the diplomatic dispute between Copenhagen and the US over the Arctic island this spring, when the American leader suggested taking control of the strategic island.

Observers note that this initiative is one of multiple instances of how Denmark's foreign policy and its civil service have had to adapt to the new reality of the second Trump administration.

An insider close to the ministry remarked, “It's accurate to say that the circumstances in Greenland and the time zone gap separating Copenhagen and the United States was quite an important factor prompting this arrangement during the spring.”

Instead of everybody needing to promptly reach for their devices to stay informed on news from the US, the ministry explained it had undertaken a collective effort to remain informed on Trump activities.

An expert, a former senior analyst at the defense intelligence service, stated that this move demonstrated, “as long understood,” that the idea of the United States as Denmark’s largest and most important partner was no longer valid. “Partnerships are founded on shared principles and a common threat perception,” he said. “The president shares neither of those with Denmark and it can be said he lacks it with the majority of Europe.”