Zelenskyy appoints ex-Canadian deputy premier as economic adviser

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday signed a decree appointing former Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as an adviser on economic development.

Zelenskyy announced the appointment after meeting Freeland, saying she is “highly skilled in these matters 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,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on US social media company X.

Freeland, who has Ukrainian ancestry, served as Canadian deputy prime minister between 2019 and 2024. She is an active lawmaker in Canada’s lower house of parliament and also is Ottawa’s special envoy for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Zelenskyy also signed another decree on the appointment of First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya as First Deputy Head of Ukraine’s presidential office.

The Ukrainian president had announced Kyslytsya’s appointment following a meeting with him on Saturday, saying he will also “continue his work in the negotiation process.”

“We discussed in detail our diplomatic work and ways to strengthen this area within the Office of the President – namely, ensuring communication with partners at the highest level, developing bilateral engagement, and synchronizing efforts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs system,” Zelenskyy said on X.

Kyslytsya, from February 2020 until February 2025, served as Ukraine’s permanent representative to the UN, after which he assumed the post of first deputy foreign minister.

Taras Melnychuk, the Ukrainian government’s permanent representative in parliament, wrote separately on Telegram that the Cabinet dismissed Kyslytsya as first deputy foreign minister.

Zelenskyy announced on Friday that Ukraine would undergo “substantial” internal changes to boost resilience.

• Chrystia Freeland
• Sergiy Kyslytsya
• Ukraine
• Volodymyr Zelenskyy