OTTAWA — Former federal minister Chrystia Freeland has been appointed as an economic adviser by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Freeland has expressed her support for Ukraine amid its war with Russia, and has said the country could become an economic juggernaut by taking up the opportunities it missed after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Zelenskyy on social media says Ukraine needs to strengthen its internal resilience.
Freeland, who has Ukrainian ancestry, was a cabinet minister and deputy prime minister in Justin Trudeau's government, and was recently named as Canada's special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
She stepped away from Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet in September, but still represents the federal riding of University—Rosedale, in the Toronto region.
Her appointment comes as Carney travels to Paris to meet with other allies of Ukraine in a bid to end Russia's nearly four-year war on the country.