🔗 Share this article

Taking action inspired by fictional watches, Denmark's foreign ministry has initiated a nighttime monitoring unit—far from to fend off fantasy threats, but to track Donald Trump while Denmark sleeps.

The night monitoring begins at 5 p.m. in Denmark daily and ends with a summary compiled at 7am, which is then circulated across government departments and relevant agencies covering what was said and developments that occurred.

The role is believed to have been established in the wake of the diplomatic dispute between Copenhagen and Washington over the Arctic island earlier this year, when the US president suggested taking control of the resource-rich territory.

Observers note that this initiative is one of multiple examples 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 foreign office remarked, “It's accurate to say that the situation in Greenland and the time zone gap separating Copenhagen and the United States was quite an important reason prompting this arrangement in the spring.”

Instead of everybody having to promptly reach for their phones to stay informed on updates from the US, the foreign office explained it had undertaken a coordinated approach to remain informed on the president's activities.

Jacob Kaarsbo, a ex- senior analyst at the defense intelligence service, commented that this development demonstrated, “as long understood,” that the notion of the United States as Denmark’s largest and most important ally was dead. “Partnerships are built on common values and a mutual view of threats,” he added. “The president lacks both of those with Denmark and I would argue he lacks it with most Europeans.”