Zelensky appoints former Canadian deputy PM Freeland as economic advisor
Ukraine has appointed former Canadian deputy prime minister and current Canadian Member of Parliament Chrystia Freeland as an economic advisor, amid a sweeping government reshuffle of key political appointments.
"Chrystia is a professional (...) and has significant experience in attracting investments and conducting economic transformations," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram post on Jan. 5.
The move comes as Zelensky lays the groundwork for either a peace deal and Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, or the continuation of the war, with recent appointments aimed at preparing the country for both.
Zelensky appointed the country's now-former military spy chief Kyrylo Budanov as head of the president's office on Jan. 2 — widely perceived to signal Kyiv's preparedness for the war's continuation this year.
But talks of Ukraine's economic future have also gained traction in recent weeks as peace talks drag on. Zelensky said in late December that Ukraine and the U.S. were discussing economic recovery plans for a post-war Ukraine.
"Ukraine needs to increase its internal resilience — for the sake of Ukraine's recovery, if diplomacy works as quickly as possible, and for the sake of strengthening our defense, if we have to work longer to end the war due to our partners' delays," Zelensky said on Telegram, explicitly outlining the two possibilities for 2026.
Freeland, who served as deputy prime minister from 2019–2024 under Justin Trudeau, was appointed as Canada's special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine in 2025.
Zelensky on Nov. 30 also appointed Ukraine's former ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, as presidential advisor on reconstruction and investment.
