Ex-Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland will leave Parliament to serve as an unpaid economic advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
MONTREAL: Former Canadian finance and foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland announced she will leave Parliament to become an economic advisor to Ukraine.
Freeland, of Ukrainian origin, was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelensky while serving as Canada’s special representative for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
“Ukraine is at the forefront of today’s global fight for democracy, and I welcome this chance to contribute on an unpaid basis as an economic advisor to President Zelensky,” Freeland wrote on X.
The 57-year-old former journalist speaks Ukrainian, English, French, Italian and Russian fluently.
Zelensky praised Freeland’s appointment, saying she “is highly skilled” and “has extensive experience in attracting investment and implementing economic transformations.”
“Right now, Ukraine needs to strengthen its internal resilience – both for the sake of Ukraine’s recovery if diplomacy delivers results as swiftly as possible, and to reinforce our defense if, because of delays by our partners, it takes longer to bring this war to an end,” Zelensky added.
Freeland previously ran to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party leader and prime minister after his resignation.
She lost that leadership contest and later joined the government of her opponent, Prime Minister Mark Carney.
During Donald Trump’s first US presidential term, Freeland led trade negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
