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In a move inspired by fictional guards, the Danish foreign affairs department has created a night watch unit—not to fend off mythical threats, but to monitor the US president as Denmark is asleep.

The night watch begins at 5 p.m. local time daily and ends with a summary compiled at 7 a.m., which is then distributed across the Danish government and concerned offices detailing what was said and events that occurred.

This position is understood to have been established in the wake of the diplomatic row between Denmark and Washington over Greenland earlier this year, when the US president threatened taking control of the strategic island.

Analysts point out that this measure is one of multiple examples of how Denmark's foreign policy and its government administration have had to adjust to the changed landscape of the Trump's current term.

An insider familiar with the ministry remarked, “It is fair to say that the circumstances in Greenland and the time zone gap separating Denmark and the United States were a significant reason prompting this system in the earlier months.”

Rather than all staff having to promptly reach for their devices to catch up on updates from the US, the foreign office explained it had undertaken a collective effort to remain informed on the president's actions.

An expert, a former senior analyst at the Danish defence intelligence agency, stated that this development demonstrated, “as we have always known,” that the notion of the US as Denmark's primary partner was dead. “Partnerships are founded on shared principles and a common threat perception,” Kaarsbo said. “Trump shares neither of those with us and it can be said he lacks it with most Europeans.”