Ukrainian-born Chrystia Freeland could become Canada's new prime minister, CBC News

Chrystia Freeland, a Ukrainian by origin, may become Canada's new prime minister, – CBC News Yaroslav Pogonchuk

Former Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland intends to fight for leadership of the ruling Liberal Party. If she wins the internal party elections, she will receive the post of head of the Canadian government.

Reports 24 Kanal with reference to CBC News. Freeland plans to formally announce her run for party leader before President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office on January 20, sources said.

What position did Freeland previously hold?

The publication noted that Freeland resigned from Justin Trudeau's cabinet in December 2024, the same day she was scheduled to deliver the government's fall economic statement.

In a letter to Trudeau that she posted on social media, Freeland explained that she was forced to resign because of the prime minister's offer to take on another role, as a minister without portfolio responsible for relations with the United States.

Trudeau commented on Freeland's resignation when he announced his resignation as prime minister, saying he expected Freeland to remain as deputy prime minister and take on “one of the most important issues” facing the country.

But she chose otherwise. As for what actually happened, I'm not one to share private conversations, Trudeau said.

So far, only three candidates have officially announced their intentions to run for Trudeau's seat, but the number of contenders is expected to increase this week (January 13-19).

Nova Scotia MP Jamie Battiste, Ontario MP Chandra Arya, and former Montreal MP Frank Baylis have already confirmed their intentions to lead the Liberal Party.

What is known about Freeland

Chrystia Freeland is a writer, journalist, and politician. She was born in September 1968 in Alberta.

Her father, Donald Freeland, was a lawyer and member of the Liberal Party, and her mother, Halyna Khomyak, of Ukrainian descent, was born in a refugee camp in Germany after the war and was also a lawyer. In 1988, she ran for the Edmonton-Strathcona electoral district as a candidate for the New Democratic Party.

Freeland received a BA in Russian history and literature from Harvard and an MA in Slavic studies from St Antony's College, Oxford.

She has worked for such publications as the Financial Times, Globe and Mail, and Reuters. In 2012, she published the book Plutocrats: The Age of the New Rich and the Decline of the Old System, which became a bestseller and won the Lionel Gelber Prize.

Freeland began her political career in 2013, joining the Liberal Party and winning a by-election to the Toronto Downtown seat.

She has held a number of important positions, including Minister of International Trade (2015–2017), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017–2019), and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (2019–2024).

In 2020, she became the first woman to serve as Canada's Minister of Finance.