Canada names descendant of Ukrainian Nazi collaborator as special Ukraine envoy
Chrystia Freeland has resigned as Canada’s minister of transport to become her country’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine, according to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Freeland, the granddaughter of a Nazi collaborator who has denied awareness of his past, has long faced scrutiny over her denial of the facts of her family's legacy.
One of the most prominent figures in Canadian politics for over a decade, she has held ministerial positions in international trade, foreign affairs, and finance. In a statement on Tuesday, Carney said that Freeland, often seen as a potential political rival, will remain a member of parliament.
”Chrystia is truly uniquely positioned for this timely and essential work towards a better future for Ukrainians and peace in Europe,” he said, citing her “deep relationships and understanding of Ukraine and its economy.”
Freeland herself did not comment on her new role, but has confirmed that she is leaving the cabinet and is not planning to run in the next election.
Commenting on the announcement, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova branded Freeland a “hardcore Russophobe,” adding that her appointment would only exacerbate the crisis in Ukraine.
Her family’s troubled legacy is well-documented. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, edited the Krakivski Visti newspaper in Nazi-occupied Poland and Austria during WWII before he emigrated to Canada.
The media outlet, according to the Los Angeles Holocaust Museum, operated under the Nazis and published their propaganda, including anti-Semitic material, and promoted the Waffen SS “Galician Division,” which was composed mostly of ethnic Ukrainians.
For years, Freeland rejected any claims that Chomiak had collaborated with the Nazis as “Russian disinformation,” although Canadian media, including The Globe and Mail, have reported she had known for decades about her grandfather’s work.
During her tenure, Freeland also applauded a known Nazi in the Canadian parliament, later denying knowledge that the man could have had the same background as her grandfather.
She also clashed with US President Donald Trump, who has called her a “terrible person” and a “nasty woman.” When Freeland resigned from the cabinet of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December, Trump celebrated the news, saying, “She will not be missed!!!!”
