OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland’s decision to step down from the House of Commons is “consistent” with her taking on a new role as an unpaid economic development adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Carney made the comments at a news conference in Paris on Tuesday, where he is meeting with international partners supporting Ukraine.
On Monday, Freeland announced she was immediately resigning as the prime minister’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine and would also be leaving her seat in Parliament in the coming weeks.
Asked whether he had urged Freeland to remain in the House of Commons—particularly as the Liberals govern with a minority—Carney said he did not ask her to stay on as an MP.
Freeland has previously stated she does not intend to run in the next federal election.
In addition to her advisory work for Ukraine, Freeland is set to take on a new international role later this year. She will become chief executive officer of the Rhodes Trust, a global educational charity based in Oxford, England, starting July 1.