Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says he has appointed Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland as economic adviser

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland as an economic development adviser, citing her experience in attracting investors.

The new role, announced on Monday, is rekindling questions about when the long-serving member of Parliament will step down, prompting a by-election for a smaller Parliament.

Freeland, who has Ukrainian ancestry, was deputy prime minister between 2019 and 2024. He has long been one of Canada’s most vocal opponents of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Right now, Ukraine needs to strengthen its internal resilience – both for Ukraine to recover if diplomacy brings results as soon as possible, and to strengthen our defense if, due to the delay of our partners, it takes a long time to end this war,” Zelenskyy wrote in X on Monday.

Freeland already serves as Canada’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

A source close to Freeland said Zelenskyy asked him to take on the new role on December 22 while in Ukraine, and told Prime Minister Mark Carney about the request on Christmas Eve.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said Freeland made it clear that this new job is a continuation of the work he has been doing and that he sees it as useful in Canada and Ukraine.

It is unclear whether Freeland will continue as special representative and in his new role of adviser.

The Conservatives want Freeland to resign as an MP

The position in Ukraine is not full-time and unpaid, the source said.

In September, Freeland announced that he would be stepping down from the cabinet, but will still represent the Toronto Riding of University-Rosedale. Freeland has not officially announced plans to resign as a Member of Parliament.

In November, he was appointed as the incoming CEO of the Rhodes Trust, an educational organization based in Oxford, England. Freeland’s office has confirmed that he will move to the United Kingdom in a ceremony that will begin on July 1.

A source close to Freeland said more news about his plans to leave politics is coming “soon,” but no date has been set.

Conservatives want him to resign immediately.

“One cannot be a member of the Canadian Parliament and an adviser to a foreign government,” said Conservative Foreign Affairs MP Michael Chong. “He has to do one or the other.

“He should resign as a counselor or as a member of parliament at Rosedale University.”

Conservative MP Roman Baber called it a “blatant conflict of interest.”

CBC News has contacted Canada’s conflict of interest and ethics commissioner for comment.

Carney promises $2.5B package to Ukraine

The source said Zelenskyy would like Freeland to organize an international council of advisers on the reconstruction of Ukraine.

His appointment comes as Carney heads to Paris to meet with other allies in an effort to end Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Late last month, Carney announced a $2.5 billion loan package and a debt freeze for Ukraine. It brought Canada’s total commitment to Ukraine in military, humanitarian and economic aid since the Russian invasion by 2022 to more than $23.5 billion.

Zelenskyy said last week that after weeks of US-led talks, including talks with US President Donald Trump in Florida, the peace deal is “90 percent ready.” Zelenskyy said last month that Ukrainian and US officials have worked on several documents related to post-war reconstruction and investment.

Taras Kachka, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, said on Saturday that international partners have reached an agreement on an economic support package of approximately $800 billion for Ukraine in the next ten years. The package is based on the calculations of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, and will deal with compensation for damage, reconstruction and stabilization of the economy and growth of 200 billion dollars.

Freeland has attacked Russia before.

He was one of several Canadian officials targeted in retaliatory sanctions imposed by Vladimir Putin’s government in 2014, the year Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine.

After Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, he was the leading lobbyist among Ukrainian allies for freezing some Russian assets.