Study Group with Susan Glasser & Peter Baker: Canada in the Crosshairs

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Not since the War of 1812 have U.S. relations with Canada, traditionally its closest friend, been so strained. As Trump turns American foreign relations upside down, one of the most striking reversals is his repeated threat to make Canada the 51st state over its objection. Now he has called off trade talks out of pique over an anti-tariff ad. His rhetoric has roiled politics in Canada, depressed cross-border trade and travel and fueled anti-Americanism in the most pro-American country in the world.

GUEST: Chrystia Freeland, Former Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister of Canada

AUDIENCE: These conversations are open to members of the Harvard community. Please RSVP with a valid Harvard email address. 

OFF-THE-RECORD: In keeping with our long tradition at the IOP to ensure honest and candid discussions of politics, all IOP study groups are off-the-record.

About Chrystia Freeland

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre in 2013. She was elected as Member of Parliament for University—Rosedale in 2015 and re-elected in 2019, 2021 and now again in 2025. She also serves on the National Security Council. She currently serves as the Prime Ministers Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.

From 2015 to 2017, Chrystia served as Minister of International Trade, overseeing the successful negotiation of a free trade agreement between Canada and the European Union. From January, 2017, to November, 2019, she served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, leading the successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and defending Canada’s interests during the first Trump Administration. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia also championed feminist foreign policy, the defence of Ukraine, peacekeeping, and the protection of human rights globally. In 2025, she also served as Minister of Transportation and Internal Trade.

In November, 2019, Chrystia was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, where she helped lead Canada’s united response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She was appointed Minister of Finance in August, 2020, becoming the first woman in Canadian history to hold the position. Her stewardship during and after the pandemic ensured a soft landing for the Canadian economy, protecting jobs and businesses, while preserving Canada’s triple A credit rating and the lowest debt and deficit ratios in the G7. During this time, Chrystia also helped lead the global response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine including the seizure of frozen Russian Central Bank assets to support Ukraine.

An esteemed journalist and author, Chrystia was born in Peace River, Alberta. She was educated at Harvard University before continuing her studies on a Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford.

In 2018, the Deputy Prime Minister was recognized as Foreign Policy's Diplomat of the Year. She was also awarded the Eric M. Warburg Award by Atlantik-Brücke, for her achievements in strengthening transatlantic ties. In 2020, she was awarded Freedom House’s Mark Palmer Prize, in recognition of her years of work in championing democracy and human rights around the world. In 2025, Chrystia was also awarded the Foreign Policy Association’s medal for her defense of democracy and the rules-based international order.