Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Chrystia Freeland’s upcoming resignation from the House of Commons is “consistent” with taking a role as an unpaid economic development adviser for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“My judgment was that taking that role would be consistent with resigning as an MP, and I welcomed her doing that,” Carney said during a press conference at the Canadian Embassy in Paris.

Freeland to resign as MP after accepting role advising Ukrainian president

Freeland announced her plans to resign from the House in the “coming weeks” on Monday, hours after news broke of her advisor appointment, which had drawn criticism from opposition parties and an ethics watchdog.

She had already previously said she would not run in the next election, and will become CEO of the Rhodes Trust, a global educational charity in Oxford, England, starting on July 1.

A source close to Freeland told iPolitics she needs some time to prepare for the transition out of her seat as an MP, and “things went very quickly” when it came to accepting the offer to serve as an advisor to Ukraine.

The source, who asked not to be identified to speak freely, said Zelensky offered her the position on Dec. 22, and Freeland told Carney about it on Dec. 24.

The source added that Freeland has “been in touch with the ethics commissioner throughout to make sure he was comfortable with everything.”

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office refused to comment on details of Carney’s “personal calls.”

When reached for comment on Monday, the Office of the Ethics Commissioner said it could discuss individual cases “because of confidentiality restrictions,” and directed questions to Freeland’s office.

Freeland’s departure will set up a byelection in her central Toronto riding.

Carney said he did not ask Freeland to stay on as a MP, when he was asked about that prospect given the Liberals hold a minority government.

John Tory Jr., the son of the former Toronto mayor, has been rumoured as a potential Liberal candidate for a seat in Toronto.

When reached by iPolitics on Monday, he said it’s too early to discuss running as there hasn’t been a formal resignation.

But he said supported Carney and would “welcome the opportunity to run under the Liberal banner.”

“I’d be honoured to be considered for such an incredible opportunity to serve.”

Carney is in Paris to meet with Ukrainian allies, including the U.S., to discuss security guarantees for the war-torn nation as part of a potential peace deal with Russia being negotiated by the United States.

“Nothing’s assured, but there’s real momentum in this peace process. And the security guarantees are incredibly important, but as is the reconstruction and the prosperity plan, and she’ll be there to work on that,” Carney said.

with files from the Canadian Press