Seven weeks in the past, Prime Minister Mark Carney assigned former cupboard minister Chrystia Freeland to be Canada’s new particular envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Canadians haven’t heard a lot in regards to the job since, and nothing in any respect about how Ukraine might be rebuilt whereas Russia continues its wide-scale bombing of important infrastructure.
However specialists say Canada has a significant alternative now to assist protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and worldwide legislation — and to show a revenue in a number of sectors.
Right here’s what we all know.
It’s not clear. The previous journalist has not been interviewed by a Canadian information outlet since her appointment, regardless of a number of requests from The Canadian Press.
A September cupboard order establishing Freeland’s new position says she is serving as a parliamentary secretary to Carney for a time period of 12 months.
Alexandre Lévêque, an assistant deputy minister at World Affairs Canada, advised the Senate overseas affairs committee on Oct. 22 that the job comes with a single employees member and help from his staff at World Affairs and the Privy Council.
“Madame Freeland, I believe, is growing the position, as she’s starting her capabilities in it,” he stated.
“I believe basically, her position can be to detect alternatives — so bringing … the Canadian personal sector, discovering traders, discovering potential Canadian experience, notably in issues like infrastructure growth (and the) mining business.”
In a Nov. 5 response to a parliamentary request for data from Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, the Privy Council Workplace stated the envoy position comes with the $20,000 wage bump all parliamentary secretaries obtain. It stated “sure bills” incurred by Freeland, “equivalent to journey, might be paid by the Privy Council Workplace.”
Genuis requested if the job got here with any set of targets. The PCO didn’t provide any however stated Freeland will advise the federal government on each financial reconstruction and Canada’s efforts to deliver dwelling hundreds of kidnapped Ukrainian kids taken into Russia over the course of the battle.
Get breaking Nationwide information
For information impacting Canada and around the globe, join breaking information alerts delivered on to you once they occur.
The PCO additionally stated Freeland would obtain no “administrative help,” regardless of Lévêque testifying in any other case.
In a current piece she wrote for The Monetary Instances, Freeland argued Ukraine can win in opposition to Russia if it’s sufficiently financed by western international locations. She known as Ukraine an “innovation nation,” citing its exceptional success with a decentralized strategy to constructing drones.
In a press release, Freeland’s workplace stated she visited Kyiv in September and “the Ukrainian authorities has since invited Ms. Freeland on an official go to to Ukraine later this 12 months to speak about how Canada can greatest help Ukraine’s reconstruction.”
How will you rebuild a rustic nonetheless at battle?
Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada Andrii Plakhotniuk stated even with the battle happening, his nation nonetheless manages to export merchandise whereas constructing out an arms business that has been pressured to provide quickly and adapt to new know-how on the fly.
Plakhotniuk advised the Senate committee that Canada already has most popular commerce entry in Ukraine by way of its just lately up to date commerce settlement and the goodwill that comes with being a significant monetary donor.
“Ukraine is able to develop joint manufacturing of defence matériel with our companions, together with Canada,” he testified.
Whereas Plakhotniuk didn’t get into specifics, different international locations are exhibiting how such a partnership might work.
France’s defence ministry is in talks with carmaker Renault about constructing drones partly or completely in Ukraine — a partnership that may deliver authorities financing to each Ukrainian and French companies.
“Definitely, we perceive the present danger of doing enterprise in Ukraine. My message to all our mates in Canada right here is we must always use each alternative to start out enterprise in Ukraine,” Plakhotniuk stated, including that this effort might begin with initiatives in neighbouring international locations.
“My main message is to not wait (till) we’ve postwar reconstruction efforts. We want your presence now. We want your good recommendation, and we want capacity-building and lots of different issues.”
How eager are Canadian corporations?
Lévêque testified {that a} small staff of Canadian public servants stationed in Kyiv, and a few commerce officers in Poland, are working to seek out financial alternatives for Canadian companies in Ukraine. He conceded they’ve seen restricted progress.
“Given the danger that exists, each to their bodily security and to their investments, a variety of these enterprise preparations are exterior the nation,” he stated in French.
“The actual fact is that the urge for food of Canadian corporations to do enterprise in Ukraine stays comparatively restricted right now.”
Nonetheless, he stated, the federal government sends representatives to varied “reconstruction gala’s” that deliver companies and governments collectively to debate initiatives to additional Ukraine’s restoration.
“We additionally ship our ministers and commerce commissioners, in addition to Crown firms equivalent to Export Improvement Canada and the Canadian Business Company, that are there to facilitate any such commerce, particularly in the case of investments within the army sector or between governments,” he testified in French.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
