Chrystia Freeland announced Monday she will resign from Parliament in the coming weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed her as an unpaid economic adviser.
The announcement marks the latest development for the former deputy prime minister and finance minister, who left cabinet in September 2025 and will assume leadership of the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, England, starting July 1, 2026.
Read: Chrystia Freeland to Lead Rhodes Trust, Move to Oxford
“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 adviser to President Zelensky,” Freeland said in a statement posted Monday on social media.
Freeland’s resignation will trigger a byelection in Toronto’s University-Rosedale riding, which she has represented for a decade. The seat is considered a safe Liberal territory.
Zelenskyy asked Freeland in late December to take the advisory role, according to a source close to Freeland who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Ukrainian president announced the appointment Monday, saying Ukraine needs to strengthen its “internal resilience” as the war with Russia continues into its fourth year.
Prime Minister Mark Carney thanked Freeland for her work as Canada’s special representative for Ukraine reconstruction, a position she now leaves to take the advisory role.
The timing of the announcement drew criticism from opposition parties. Conservative foreign affairs critic Michael Chong said Monday that Freeland faced a conflict of interest serving simultaneously as an MP and adviser to a foreign government.
“She must do one or the other,” Chong said. “She should resign as adviser or as MP for University-Rosedale.”
Conservative MP Roman Baber called the arrangement “a blatant conflict of interest.”
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said Freeland consulted with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure compliance with federal ethics rules. Public office holders in Canada face restrictions on outside employment under the Conflict of Interest Act, though the law does not explicitly address advising foreign governments.
Freeland resigned from Trudeau’s cabinet as deputy prime minister and finance minister on December 16, 2024, publishing a letter critical of the prime minister’s leadership. She wrote that “to be effective, a Minister must speak on behalf of the Prime Minister and with his full confidence. In making your decision, you made clear that I no longer credibly enjoy that confidence.”
Read: Freeland Resigns As Finance Minister Ahead Of Fall Economic Statement Release
Her departure from cabinet helped precipitate a political crisis that ultimately led to Justin Trudeau’s resignation as prime minister and Liberal leader. Carney won the subsequent Liberal leadership race and became prime minister.
Freeland has maintained strong ties to Ukraine throughout her political career. She has Ukrainian ancestry and served as one of Canada’s most vocal critics of Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Her departure will leave Carney’s minority government two seats short of a majority in Parliament.
Oops: One Seat Away: What Will It Take for Carney to Secure His Majority?
Freeland confirmed in November that she will relocate to Oxford for her position as CEO of the Rhodes Trust, the educational charity that administers the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship program at the University of Oxford.
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