MONTREAL, Jan 6, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Liberal politician Chrystia Freeland, Canada's former minister of finance and foreign affairs, said Monday she will leave Parliament in Ottawa to work as an economic advisor to Ukraine.

Of Ukrainian origin, Freeland was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelensky while serving as the Canadian prime minister's special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine, after holding several political leadership roles in recent years.

"Ukraine is at the forefront of today's global fight for democracy, and I welcome this chance to contribute on an unpaid basis as an economic advisor to President Zelensky," Freeland wrote on X.

Freeland, 57, a former journalist, speaks Ukrainian, English, French, Italian and Russian fluently. She was the first woman to be finance minister in Canada and served as deputy prime minister.

Zelensky praised Freeland in a post announcing her appointment Monday, saying she "is highly skilled" and "has extensive experience in attracting investment and implementing economic transformations."

"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 defense if, because of delays by our partners, it takes longer to bring this war to an end," Zelensky added.

A year ago, Freeland ran to replace Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party and as prime minister after his dramatic resignation from government. She lost and ultimately agreed to join the government of her opponent, Prime Minister Mark Carney.

During US President Donald Trump's first term, Freeland led trade negotiations for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as the USMCA.