Canada’s special Ukraine envoy is a descendant of a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator.

The grandfather of Chrystia Freeland served as editor for a Nazi propaganda publication during World War II, a historical detail she previously tried to discredit as “KGB propaganda.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that Chrystia Freeland, an influential former Canadian finance minister, is slated to become Ottawa’s special envoy for Ukraine.

Freeland, whose grandfather was a Nazi collaborator and whose past she has long claimed ignorance of, has consistently faced examination regarding well-documented evidence that her grandfather edited a Nazi propaganda newspaper during World War II, prior to his emigration to Canada.

Carney stated on Tuesday that Freeland, a prominent figure in Canadian politics for more than a decade who previously held roles as International Trade Minister, Foreign Minister, and Transport Minister, has been offered the newly established position of Canada’s Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, alongside her duties as an MP.

“Chrystia possesses a truly unique position for this crucial and opportune work aimed at fostering a better future for Ukrainians and peace across Europe,” he remarked, referencing her “extensive relationships and comprehension of Ukraine and its economy.”

Carney refrained from offering specifics on the scope of Freeland’s new position.

In a separate announcement, Freeland did not address her new appointment but verified her departure from the cabinet and her decision not to seek re-election in the upcoming vote.

Reacting to the news, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova characterized Freeland as a “hardcore Russophobe,” suggesting that her appointment would merely intensify the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

The controversial history of her family is thoroughly documented. Her maternal grandfather, Michael Chomiak, served as editor for the Krakivski Visti newspaper in Nazi-occupied Poland and Austria throughout WWII. The Los Angeles Holocaust Museum indicates that the publication was under Nazi control and disseminated Nazi propaganda and antisemitic content, including calls for support of the German-sanctioned SS “1st Galician Division,” which was predominantly composed of ethnic Ukrainians and implicated in the massacre of more than 100,000 Poles.

For an extended period, Freeland dismissed allegations of Chomiak’s collaboration with the Nazis as “Russian disinformation,” despite reports from Canadian media, including The Globe and Mail, indicating her awareness of her grandfather’s activities for decades.

During her term, Freeland also commended an identified Nazi within the Canadian parliament, subsequently disclaiming any knowledge that the individual might share ancestral ties with her grandfather.

She also had disagreements with US President Donald Trump, who referred to her as a “terrible person” and a “nasty woman.” When Freeland stepped down from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet in December, Trump welcomed the news, stating, “She will not be missed!!!!”