Rinkevics hopes Trump's remarks on annexing Canada and taking over Greenland is rhetoric

RIGA - President Edgars Rinkevics hopes that the statements made by US President-elect Donald Trump on the annexation of Canada and the takeover of Greenland is rhetoric, he said at a press conference on Tuesday after a meeting with Prime Minister Evika Silina.

Trump had said he would use military force to take over the Panama Canal and Greenland and "economic force" to annex Canada, according to NBC News.

The President stressed that Latvia respects the territorial integrity of each ally. He said it would be good if such issues were resolved on the basis of international law and accepted norms. Rinkevics hoped that this was more of a rhetorical statement.

Silina, on the other hand, said that a distinction should be made between two areas - statements and actions. The Prime Minister stressed that it is important to maintain peace, so first of all one has to understand whether these statements will be followed by any actions. In her view, until Trump is inaugurated, which will take place on January 20, what Trump says at the moment remains in the form of statements.