Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to do two things at once in testimony to senators Wednesday: take the temperature down after President Donald Trump rattled NATO by seeking to acquire Greenland, while delivering Trump’s message that the alliance must change.

Rubio’s tightrope walk was on display at a sometimes-testy Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, where senators pressed him to repair frayed ties with Denmark and other allies. The moment underscored how Rubio’s — sometimes seen as the most pro-European of Trump’s top team — balances the administration’s America First views.

Tensions between Europe and the U.S. spiked this month after Trump threatened tariffs and refused for weeks to rule out using force to take over the self-governing Danish territory. He has since backed down, describing a “framework” for talks following a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Switzerland.

European leaders have warned that the damage could linger. Rubio, however, offered an upbeat spin.

“I thought it was noteworthy and important that the president, at a speech in Davos, made very clear that the United States was not going to use force or military force,” Rubio said in an exchange with Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). “So I think we’re going to wind up in a good place.”

Friction between the U.S. and Europe had intensified earlier this month after Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide, argued on CNN that Greenland rightfully belonged to the United States and that the administration could seize it if it wanted. Trump’s refusal to rule that out for weeks fueled the tensions.

Rubio stressed Wednesday that the issue would now shift to a “very professional, straightforward” diplomatic process.

“We’re going to try to do it in a way that isn’t like a media circus every time these conversations happen, because we think that creates more flexibility on both sides to arrive at a positive outcome,” he said.

Coons pushed back on Trump’s claim that the U.S. gets little in return from NATO, rebuking remarks questioning the role of allied troops in Afghanistan. Coons cited a recent visit to Denmark, where he laid a wreath honoring Danish troops who “served, fought and died alongside Americans.”

Rubio did not dispute Denmark’s sacrifices but pivoted to Trump’s core argument that NATO allies must shoulder a greater share of the security burden.

“NATO needs to be reimagined,” Rubio said.

“One of the things we’ve explained to our allies in NATO is the United States is not simply focused on Europe,” he added. “We also have defense needs in the Western Hemisphere. We have defense needs in the Indo-Pacific. We may be the richest country in the world, but we don’t have unlimited resources.”