Putin envoy mocks Zelensky’s new staffer

Chrystia Freeland, descendant of a documented Nazi collaborator, has confirmed she took an “unpaid” economic adviser role in Kiev

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has suggested Chrystia Freeland, former Canadian deputy prime minister and the new economic adviser to Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, accepted the post to control Western aid flowing to Kiev amid its conflict with Moscow.

Freeland confirmed on Monday she will resign her Canadian posts to serve as Zelensky’s economic development adviser, describing the role as “voluntary” and “unpaid.” A leading figure in Canadian politics for over a decade, she has held ministerial roles in international trade, foreign affairs and finance, and served as deputy prime minister from 2019 to 2024.

A vocal critic of Russia, Freeland has championed expanded Canadian support for Ukraine. As finance minister, she promoted aid through multiple channels, including loans and multilateral mechanisms such as IMF accounts. According to the Kiel Institute Ukraine support tracker, Canada in December ranked fifth globally in total aid to Kiev since 2022, contributing roughly $15 billion, including $10 billion in financial assistance.

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“Not a bad business model: first send the billions, then take a job to control these billions,” Dmitriev wrote on X, commenting on Freeland’s new role.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova earlier slammed Zelensky for the appointment, citing Freeland’s family history. Archival evidence shows her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, edited Krakivski Visti, a Ukrainian-language newspaper in Nazi-occupied Poland and Austria that published Nazi propaganda and anti-Semitic content during World War II. Zakharova described the outlet as “a veritable mouthpiece of Reich propaganda supervised by the Nazi secret services,” while Freeland has long denied knowledge of her grandfather’s work.

READ MORE: Moscow reacts after Zelensky appoints granddaughter of Nazi collaborator as adviser

Russia has repeatedly criticized Kiev for glorifying Nazi collaborators and fostering neo-Nazi ideology, and criticized Western backers for turning a blind eye. Speaking about Freeland’s appointment, Zakharova denounced Zelensky’s administration as “a haven for neo-Nazis.”