Justin Trudeau's 'Minister of Everything' Chrystia Freeland announced on Friday (Jan 17) that she will run for leadership of Canada's Liberal Party, stressing that it is time to fight as US President-elect Donald Trump is threatening the country. 

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Freeland expressed her intention to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and become the next Liberal leader. 

"At a time when President Donald Trump is threatening our country, it’s time to fight for Canada," Freeland said in a post on X. 

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This comes a day after Trudeau said that he will not be contesting the upcoming federal elections scheduled for October this year and also hinted at quitting politics. 

Also read: Canada's Deputy PM Freeland resigns over disagreements with Trudeau, says country facing grave challenge

Last week, Trudeau announced to step down as the Prime Minister of Canada after his Liberal Party chose a leader. 

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Who is Chrystia Freeland?

The 56-year-old Chrystia Freeland, a former journalist turned senior government minister, was a graduate of both Harvard and Oxford. 

She spent her early career as a globe-trotting journalist reporting largely on the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Later, she was banned from entering Russia. Freeland hails from the Ukrainian diaspora that settled, and has farmed, much of the Canadian prairies for generations and emerged as a fierce supporter of Kyiv after Russia’s full invasion.

Also read: Trudeau downplays Trump’s tariff threat to Canada as mere ‘distraction’

If elected as PM, Freeland would likely continue support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Trudeau, in 2013, asked Freeland to leave the media and join politics. Later after winning a seat in Toronto, Freeland was quickly elevated to vaunted ministerial roles in the Trudeau government. 

Before being appointed as the finance minister, she served as minister of foreign affairs in Canada. She was also appointed as deputy prime minister and minister of intergovernmental affairs. 

Also read: Canada's Trudeau confirms he won't run for upcoming elections

Freeland resigned as the country's finance minister last month, after facing clashes with PM Trudeau, over how to handle the looming threat of US tariffs.

While resigning, she stressed that the country is facing a grave challenge with the incoming Trump administration and their tariff threats. 

"Our country today faces a grave challenge. The incoming administration in the United States is pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 per cent tariffs," Freeland said.  

Trump responded to her resignation, saying that her behavior was "totally toxic", adding that it was "not at all conducive to making deals which are good for the very unhappy citizens of Canada. She will not be missed!!!”

Also read: Trudeau sounds alarm on Trump’s tariff threats: '51st state remark diverted attention from...'

However, as US-Canada faces a trade war, it is still unclear how Freeland's relationship with Trump will help or harm her candidacy in Canada. 

If elected as PM, Freeland will be the second female prime minister in the country’s history. 

(With inputs from agencies)