The US Ambassador to the European Union Andrew Puzder said that President Donald Trump's threats to invade Greenland earlier this year were misunderstood and never represented a real intention for military action, Politico quoted him as saying.
"It was interpreted that we were somehow threatening the territorial integrity of Greenland," but "the president never said we were going to invade," Puzder said during the Brussels Economic Security Forum.
During his second term, Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of annexing Greenland, initially not ruling out the possibility of using military force. His remarks have sparked concern in Europe.
However, Puzder said the president's comments helped draw attention to the strategic importance of the Arctic island and should not have been taken literally.
His words came a day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Greenland was part of Denmark - "for now".
In January, Trump finally ruled out a military invasion of Greenland, which set off talks between the US and Denmark about expanding the US military presence on the Arctic island.
Puzder compared European reactions to Trump's statements to the foam on a cappuccino.
"You get a cappuccino, you get it for the coffee, you don't get it for the foam. So let's focus on the coffee, not the foam. "And a lot of that is foam," he said.