Chrystia Freeland is pictured in Auckland on Feb. 4, 2016.MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP / Getty Images
Two of Russia's nervous neighbours are urging the Trudeau Liberals to use Canada's close relationship with the U.S. to encourage the incoming Trump administration not to become too cosy with the Kremlin.
The ambassadors of Ukraine and Latvia tell The Canadian Press that Canada's historic friendship and alliance with the world's only superpower puts it in a strong position to advise president-elect Donald Trump to be wary of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The envoys also say new Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland can deliver that message to Washington because of her strong network of contacts in the U.S., as well as her past experience as a journalist who reported extensively from Ukraine and Russia.
Trump has frequently complimented Putin, even though American intelligence agencies say Putin engineered cyberattacks designed to affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump said for the first time this week that Russia might have been behind the cyberattacks.
But he has also said the U.S. needs to improve relations with Russia, saying if Putin likes him that's an "asset" for the U.S. because the country has a "horrible relationship with Russia."