Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is seen during a media availability following the Liberal caucus in Saskatoon, Sask. Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS Jonathan Hayward

SASKATOON — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Chrystia Freeland’s participation in a panel that lumped American President Donald Trump in with dictators like Bashar al-Assad was appropriate – despite the fact she’s in the midst of trade talks with the United States.

On Monday, ahead of resumed trade talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Freeland spoke on a panel in Toronto titled Taking on the tyrant hosted by the Women in the World Canada summit.

An opening montage for the panel said the world faces a “historic threat” from a “global tide of populism” and the “rise of autocrats.” The video then featured Trump in a reel alongside the likes of Syria’s Bashir Assad, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and The Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte.

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“Canadians expect their government and their representatives to stand up clearly for Canadian values and defend Canadians’ interests,” Trudeau said.

“It needs to be crystal clear to Canadians that we will always be there to defend our values and defend our interests and that’s exactly what Chrystia is doing around the negotiating table and in her work as foreign affairs minister.”

The panel appearance had sparked an outcry on social media – particularly amongst right-leaning users, who argued the appearance was inappropriate given the sensitive nature of ongoing NAFTA talks.

In a tweet, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel argued if a Conservative minister had participated in the panel, it would have been “career-ending” for them.

If a Conservative foreign affairs minister had ever participated in an anti-Obama event, nevermind during the height of NAFTA talks, it would have been career-ending. But nary a speculative word from Canada’s media on Freeland being on this panel on Monday https://t.co/z3R4rTXD1m — Michelle Rempel (@MichelleRempel) September 12, 2018

Relations between Canada and the United States have been strained in recent months thanks to continued differences at the NAFTA trade table and the United States’ decision to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum products for national security reasons. The decision forced Ottawa to impose more than $16 billion in retaliatory tariffs on American goods on Canada Day.

The U.S. President has also repeatedly threatened to impose similar import tariffs on Canadian automobile exports.

It’s not the first time the Trudeau government has made a point of very publicly defending liberal values internationally.

In June, Freeland travelled to Washington, D.C. after she was named ‘Diplomat of the Year.” At the event, she delivered the Liberal government’s strongest rebuke yet of the direction the United States is taking under Trump’s leadership. Global News reported that her speech had rankled White House officials.

[READ MORE: Mexico prepared to do a trade deal without Canada, official tweets]

Freeland’s participation in Monday’s panel comes at a critical time in the renegotiation of the NAFTA trade deal. The latest deadline for the trade talks just over two weeks away and many thorny issues like dairy industry protections still unresolved.

Trudeau avoided answering a question on whether Freeland’s attendance at such events might hurt trade talks instead saying he’s “touched and pleased to see Canadians so united” on NAFTA.

“Across political partisanship, across regional divides we see Canadians — and we’ve seen it strongly throughout the summer — standing together, knowing that the unity and strengths of values and approach that we are showing every single day as individuals, as citizens and as a country is the right path and the right way to do it,” he said.

Trade negotiation advisor Eric Miller said he doesn’t think Freehand has hurt the trade talks with these appearances.

Miller, the president of the Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, said he thinks the events act as a “steam valve” for Liberals who spend much of their time ignoring Trump’s attacks.

Follow @MariekeWalsh