The government of Denmark has set up a “night watch” in its Foreign Ministry to monitor President Donald Trump’s movements and statements while the country sleeps, the Guardian reported Thursday.
The Guardian, citing Danish newspaper Politiken, detailed that the night watch was established this spring in response to President Trump expressing the United States’ interest to acquire Greenland.
“Denmark is stepping up its diplomatic efforts to resist pressure from Donald Trump. This comes after the government and Danish diplomats have repeatedly been put on alert following threats from the U.S. President,” Politiken’s report read.
“In an office on the sixth floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is a list of direct telephone numbers for top officials in the central administration, so that they can be quickly awakened if an emergency arises in Danish diplomacy,” the outlet explained.
The watch starts at 05:00p.m. (CEST) and by 07:00 a.m. of the next day, it produces a report to the Danish government about “what was said and took place.”
The Guardian pointed out the Danish Foreign Ministry’s “night watch” is tasked to monitor President Trump’s actions and not to keep out the “wildlings and White Walkers” like the Night’s Watch featured in the HBO series Game of Thrones — itself an adaptation of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by American author George R. R. Martin.
“It is fair to say that the situation in Greenland and the time difference between Denmark and the United States was quite an important factor introducing this arrangement during the spring,” A source close to the office told the Guardian.
Jacob Kaarsbo, a former chief analyst at the Danish defense intelligence agency, reportedly asserted that the development of the night’s watch showed, “as we have always known,” that the idea that the United States was Denmark’s largest and most important ally “was dead.”
“Alliances are built on common values and a common threat perception,” Kaarsbo said. “Trump shares neither of those with us and I would argue he doesn’t share it with most Europeans.”
President Trump has expressed throughout the years that he would like the United States to acquire Greenland from Denmark, deeming the proposal as an “absolute necessity” for national security.
Trump reiterated his proposal several times upon the start of his second term this year.
Breitbart News reported days after Trump took office in January that the Danish government descended into “crisis mode” after Trump held a phone conversation with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, where he reportedly reiterated his proposal on Greenland.
In January, Denmark announced a “$2 billion investment in Arctic security,” and acknowledged President Trump’s criticism of Greenland’s vulnerability to Russian aggression.
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