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In a move reminiscent of fictional watches, the Danish foreign ministry has initiated a nighttime monitoring unit—far from guarding against mythical foes, but to monitor the US president as Copenhagen sleeps.

The night monitoring begins at 5 p.m. local time each day and concludes with a summary produced at 7am, which is then distributed across government departments and relevant agencies covering what was said and developments that occurred.

This position is understood to have been introduced in the wake of the bilateral row involving Copenhagen and Washington regarding the Arctic island this spring, when the American leader threatened taking control of the resource-rich island.

Observers note that this initiative is among 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 stated, “It's accurate to say that the circumstances in Greenland and the time difference between Copenhagen and the US were quite an important factor prompting this system during the spring.”

Rather than all staff needing to immediately check their devices to stay informed on updates from the US, the foreign office said it had made a collective effort to stay updated on Trump actions.

An expert, a ex- chief analyst at the defense intelligence service, stated that this move showed, “as we have always known,” that the notion of the US as Denmark's largest and most important ally was no longer valid. “Partnerships are built on shared principles and a common threat perception,” Kaarsbo added. “The president lacks both of those with Denmark and it can be said he lacks it with most Europeans.”