Denmark Sets Up 'Night Watch' In Response To Trump's Threats To Annex Greenland: Report

Denmark has implemented a special “night watch” in its foreign ministry in Copenhagen in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory, according to a new report released Wednesday.

Trump has said he would not rule out taking the island by force, asserting that the U.S. must control the territory for national security.

“We need Greenland very badly,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker in May.

This rhetoric has seemingly rattled Denmark, which has repeatedly said the island “is not for sale,” now prompting the country to take further measures.

Painted houses and residential apartment blocks in Nuuk, Greenland, on Nov. 3, 2025.

Juliette Pavy/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A Politiken newspaper report cited by The Guardian said the Danish foreign ministry set up the daily “night watch” starting at 5 p.m. local time to ensure the Scandinavian country is prepared to respond to potential emergencies. The ministry then circulates a morning report with departments across the Danish government detailing any relevant overnight statements or developments, according to The Guardian.

“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 foreign office told The Guardian.

This comes as senior officials from the U.S., Denmark and Greenland are set to meet in Nuuk next month, marking the first official three-way talks since Trump’s push to acquire the island, Bloomberg and Politiken reported.

Earlier this month, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said he warned the U.S. ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery, to stay away from Greenland, according to Politico.

“Yes, he should [keep his hands off Greenland], and so should the U.S. in general — and the Americans know that very well,” Rasmussen said, per the outlet.