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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland as an economic development adviser, citing her experience in attracting investment.
The new role, announced Monday, is renewing questions about when the longtime MP will step down, which would trigger a byelection in a minority Parliament.
Freeland, who has Ukrainian ancestry, was deputy prime minister between 2019 and 2024. She has long been one of Canada’s most vocal opponents of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Â
“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 defence if, because of delays by our partners, it takes longer to bring this war to an end,” Zelenskyy wrote on X Monday.
Freeland already serves as Canada’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
A source close to Freeland said Zelenskyy asked her to take on the new role on Dec. 22 while she was in Ukraine, and she told Prime Minister Mark Carney about the request on Christmas Eve.
The source, who spoke on the condition they not be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly, said Freeland made the case that the new job is a continuation of the work she has been doing and that she sees it as good for both Canada and Ukraine.
It’s unclear whether Freeland will continue to serve as the federal government’s special representative along with her new advisory role for Ukraine.
No longer in cabinet, still Liberal MP
In September 2025, Freeland announced she was leaving the federal cabinet, but she still represents the Toronto riding of University-Rosedale.
Two months later, Freeland’s office confirmed that she would be moving to the United Kingdom for her new job as CEO of the Rhodes Trust educational charity, which starts July 1.
The source close to Freeland said more news on her plans to leave politics is coming “very soon,” but no date has been announced for her departure as MP.
The Ukraine position is not full time and is unpaid, the source said.
Conservatives call for Freeland to step down
The Conservatives are calling for Freeland’s swift resignation.
“One cannot be a Canadian MP and an adviser to a foreign government,” said Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong. “She must do one or the other.
“She should resign as adviser or as MP for University-Rosedale.”
Conservative MP Roman Baber called it “a blatant conflict of interest.”
Public office holders in Canada are barred from a number of activities under the Conflict of Interest Act, including engaging in outside employment and paid consulting. It does not include specific language about advising a foreign government.
CBC News has reached out to Canada’s conflict of interest and ethics commissioner for comment.
In 2024, Parliament passed a law requiring those acting on behalf of foreign states to register with the federal government within 14 days of entering an agreement or face hefty penalties— but the office is not up and running yet.
Carney pledges $2.5B for Ukraine
The source said Zelenskyy would like Freeland to organize an international advisory council on the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Her appointment comes as Carney heads to Paris to meet with other allies in a bid to end the war.
Late last month, Carney announced a $2.5-billion package of loans and debt suspension for Ukraine. It brought Canada’s total commitment in military, humanitarian and economic assistance since Russia’s 2022 invasion to more than $23.5 billion.
Zelenskyy said last week that after weeks of U.S.-led diplomacy, including talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida, a peace agreement was “90 per cent ready.” Zelenskyy has said over the past month that Ukrainian and U.S. officials have worked on several documents related to postwar reconstruction and investment.
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on Saturday in Halifax to discuss economic aid amid the Russia-Ukraine war. This comes ahead of Zelenskyy’s plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a peace deal.
Taras Kachka, Ukraine deputy prime minister, said on Saturday that international partners have reached consensus on an economic support package of about $800 billion US for Ukraine over the next decade.
The package is based on calculations by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, and would cover damage compensation, reconstruction and economic stability and a $200-billion US growth “booster,” Kachka said.
Freeland has roiled Russia in the past.
She was one of a number of Canadian officials subjected to retaliatory sanctions imposed by Vladimir Putin’s government in 2014, the year Russia annexed Crimea.
After Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, she was a leading proponent among Ukraine’s allies for freezing some Russian assets.