Russian Envoy Comments on Freeland’s Ukraine Post
Freeland announced Monday she would step down from her Canadian government positions to accept Zelensky's offer, characterizing the advisory role as "voluntary" and "unpaid." Having shaped Canadian policy for more than ten years, she previously held cabinet responsibilities spanning international trade, foreign affairs, and finance, while serving as deputy prime minister between 2019 and 2024.
An outspoken opponent of Russia, Freeland has advocated for increased Canadian backing of Ukraine. During her tenure as finance minister, she advanced assistance through various conduits, including direct loans and multilateral frameworks like IMF accounts. Data from the Kiel Institute Ukraine support tracker indicates Canada ranked fifth worldwide in cumulative aid to Kiev since 2022, delivering approximately $15 billion—$10 billion of which constituted financial support—as of December.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova previously condemned the appointment, referencing Freeland's ancestry. Historical documents reveal her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, served as editor of Krakivski Visti, a Ukrainian-language publication operating in Nazi-controlled Poland and Austria that disseminated Nazi propaganda and antisemitic material throughout World War II. Zakharova characterized the newspaper as "a veritable mouthpiece of Reich propaganda supervised by the Nazi secret services," though Freeland has consistently stated she lacked knowledge of her grandfather's wartime activities.
Moscow has persistently accused Kiev of celebrating Nazi collaborators and promoting neo-Nazi ideology, while condemning Western allies for overlooking such behavior. Addressing Freeland's new role, Zakharova labeled Zelensky's government as "a haven for neo-Nazis."
Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev suggested the appointment serves strategic financial objectives for Ukraine.
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