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Freeland departs politics to advise Ukraine's president
Canada's former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland announced Monday she will resign her parliamentary seat to serve as an unpaid economic adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
New roles in education and Ukraine
In July, Freeland will also assume leadership of the Rhodes Trust, the UK-based charity that administers the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University. She confirmed both appointments in a post on X, expressing gratitude to her Toronto constituents for their support since her 2013 election.
Freeland will step away from her current position as Canada's special representative for Ukraine's reconstruction, a role she took on last September after leaving Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet.
Political fallout and past tensions
Zelensky revealed Freeland's advisory appointment earlier Monday, praising her "extensive experience in attracting investment and driving economic reforms." The announcement drew immediate criticism from Canadian opposition figures, including Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong, who argued that serving as both a Canadian MP and a foreign government adviser was incompatible.
"One cannot hold both roles simultaneously. She must choose one,"
Michael Chong, Conservative MP
Career highlights and Ukraine advocacy
Freeland, a former journalist of Ukrainian descent, has been a vocal supporter of Kyiv throughout Russia's invasion. In 2014, she was among Western officials banned from entering Russia in retaliation for sanctions. Her career in government included historic appointments as Canada's first female finance minister and key roles in foreign affairs and international trade.
She played a pivotal role in renegotiating the USMCA (CUSMA in Canada) trade agreement with the U.S. and Mexico in 2018, securing an exemption from then-President Donald Trump's proposed 35% tariffs. The deal is now due for another round of renegotiations this year.
Break with Trudeau and future plans
Freeland's relationship with Trudeau soured in late 2024, when she publicly accused him of underestimating the threat of U.S. tariffs, a stance that contributed to his eventual departure from office. She had previously announced she would not seek re-election in the next federal vote.
In her resignation letter, Freeland framed her new advisory role as a continuation of her commitment to democracy, stating, "Ukraine stands at the center of today's global struggle, and I am honored to contribute."
