Ukrainian President Appoints Freeland as Economic Advisor

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has named Chrystia Freeland, the former Canadian deputy prime minister with Ukrainian heritage, as his new economic adviser.

Freeland is currently a member of Canada’s Liberal Party and serves as the special representative for Ukraine’s recovery. Her appointment comes despite some controversy surrounding her family’s complicated history with Ukraine.

In making the announcement, President Zelenskiy emphasized Freeland’s extensive experience in attracting investments and driving economic change.

The President stated, “Right now, Ukraine must bolster its domestic resilience to ensure a swift recovery, should diplomacy yield results quickly, and to strengthen our defenses if there are delays in resolving this conflict due to our partners.”

According to reports, this appointment is part of President Zelenskiy’s broader effort to revamp his office without addressing any of the recent staff changes directly. This shakeup follows the resignation or dismissal of several high-profile officials due to corruption probes.

In another significant move, Zelenskiy met with Dmytro Kuleba, the former foreign minister who was forced from his position in 2024. Kuleba had recently suggested that his removal was influenced by his popularity, which slightly eclipsed that of Zelenskiy.

Freeland has held nearly every major role in the Canadian government within the past decade, except for one. Her attempt to run for prime minister last year was thought to have contributed to the political struggles of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In her campaign, Freeland criticized President Trump’s tariffs and labeled the U.S. as a potential threat that Canada needed to protect against.

Canada and Ukraine share a long but sometimes rocky relationship. Many Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Soviet Union settled in Canada during and after World War II, with some of these individuals having been involved with Nazi affiliations.

This history has resurfaced in recent years. Notably, Freeland was involved in an incident where she applauded Yaroslav Hunka, a former member of a Ukrainian Nazi unit, during a parliamentary session in 2023. She later referred to this as a mistake and accused President Putin of manipulating the situation.

Freeland has also faced scrutiny regarding her grandfather, who was a propagandist during the Nazi era. This connection has been used to highlight criticisms of her ties to Ukraine’s Nazi past, which she acknowledged was known since the 1990s.