Denmark Sets Up Special Watch System to Track President Trump After Greenland Row
Taking action reminiscent of TV series watches, the Danish foreign ministry has created a nighttime monitoring team—not guarding against fantasy foes, but to monitor the US president while Copenhagen is asleep.
The night watch begins at 5 p.m. in Denmark each day and ends with a summary compiled at 7 a.m., which is then distributed throughout government departments and concerned offices detailing statements made and events that occurred.
This position is understood to have been introduced following the diplomatic row between Copenhagen and Washington regarding the Arctic island earlier this year, when the US president threatened taking control of the resource-rich territory.
Observers point out that this initiative is among several examples of how Danish diplomacy and its civil service have had to adjust to the new reality of the second Trump administration.
A source familiar with the ministry remarked, “It's accurate to say that the situation in Greenland and the time difference separating Denmark and the United States were a significant reason prompting this arrangement during the spring.”
Rather than everybody needing to promptly reach for their phones to catch up on updates from the US, the ministry explained it had undertaken a collective effort to stay updated on the president's activities.
An expert, a ex- chief analyst at the defense intelligence service, stated that this development demonstrated, “as long understood,” that the idea of the US as Denmark's primary ally was dead. “Alliances are founded on shared principles and a common threat perception,” he said. “Trump lacks both of those with us and it can be said he doesn't share it with most Europeans.”