Justin Trudeau makes Baltics a thing, because it’s 2015

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ruffled foreign feathers this week during the lead-up to a year-end interview with Maclean’s magazine.

Trudeau fielded a number of rapid-fire questions in a 60-second challenge promoting the magazine’s town hall event on Wednesday. The questions ranged from the name of his first pet to which languages he wishes he could speak to whether he prefers sunrise or sunset.

READ MORE: Because it’s 2015: How is PM Trudeau going to deal with Canadians’ economic concerns?

And then he was asked to name his favourite Baltic nation. Instead of picking either Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia, he answered:

“That’s not a thing.”

The video went viral and social media had a field day.

Politicians in the three Baltic states put together a video of their own, to drive home the point that, yes, the Baltics are a thing.

It features Lithuanian Members of the European Parliament (MEP), Antanas Guoga and Petras Auštrevičius, Latvian MEP Iveta Grigule, Estonian MEPs Kaja Kallas and Paet Urmas in a Christmas-themed response video, posted to YouTube Thursday.

Auštrevičius urges Trudeau to go see the Toronto Raptors play basketball, where he’ll see Lithuanian-born star Jonas Valanciunas play.

“Or if you prefer, Justin, you can come and play poker with me,” Guoga, a former professional poker player says. “I’ll take everything you have.”

The video ends with a cheery Merry Christmas.

Trudeau has responded by saying he’s very aware of the Baltics and what he meant to say was that choosing a favourite Baltic state is not a thing.