"Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the strong relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark," a US statement said after a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.

The statement did not say if there had been any discussion on Denmark's autonomous territory of Greenland.

Tensions between the United States and Denmark have soared after President Donald Trump repeatedly said he wanted to take control of the resource-rich Arctic island for security reasons.

The US statement said Rubio's talks with Denmark's foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen focused on "shared priorities including increasing NATO defense spending and burden sharing, and addressing the threats to the alliance, including those posed by Russia and China."

"They also reviewed ongoing coordination to enhance stability and security in Europe and to secure an enduring peace in Ukraine," it said.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen visited Greenland on Thursday in a show of unity with the island.

Her visit came on the heels of a trip by US Vice President JD Vance last week that both Nuuk and Copenhagen viewed as a provocation.