Mark MacKinnon
@markmackinnon
Senior International Correspondent for The Globe and Mail. Now based in London, after stops in Moscow, the Middle East and Beijing.
Oh, and find me here more and more often going forward… bsky.app/profile/markma…
It’s no exaggeration that Ukrainian public opinion is in an absolute firestorm after the parliament today approved a law essentially dismantling independent anti-corruption agencies, just days after SBU raided key investigators. The law isn’t enacted until Zelensky signs it — and…
WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT As aid groups warn of ‘mass starvation’ in Gaza, experts say malnutrition risks not only killing more children, but also damaging the development of those who survive, with potentially lifelong consequences
Joint statement on Gaza from @AFP, @AP, @BBCWorld and @Reuters
After five years, my husband @tsikhanouski_s is finally free, and our family is reunited. But many others remain behind bars. We spoke with @markmackinnon at @globeandmail about our reunion, our hopes, and how we continue the fight for a free Belarus. theglobeandmail.com/world/article-…
With Siarhei Tsikhanouski’s surprise release from prison, the “First Couple” of Belarus is reunited - and still challenging Alexander Lukashenko‘s regime. But was he released to undermine his wife Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s leadership? My report theglobeandmail.com/world/article-…
“My number one concern for the team is sleep deprivation.” What it’s like to be Canada’s ambassador to Kyiv while the city is under almost nightly assault from the sky - and why @NatalkaCmoc wants to extend her term. My report from Kyiv theglobeandmail.com/world/article-…
Needs to be emphasized just how dangerous the moment is: a president facing a major internal political crisis of his own making just as the Ukrainian military finds itself in its most precarious position since 2022.
End of an historic day here in Kyiv. Zelensky's status as an uncontested wartime leader is no more, whatever happens in the coming days. Huge uncertainty ahead.
“Talk of a new Middle East remains hollow so long as Israel keeps up its assault on Gaza and floats the prospect of permanently displacing its population to a corner of the Strip.” - @markmackinnon: theglobeandmail.com/world/article-…
Much like George W. Bush in 2003, Netanyahu and Trump believe their military victories will give birth to a "New Middle East." But just like in 2003, the other players in the region will have a lot to say about what happens next. My analysis theglobeandmail.com/world/article-…
Quite the comments from the US #Syria Envoy: - "We don't owe the #SDF the right to establish an independent gov't within a state... #Syria can't have a federal system." "This is a difficult issue for the SDF... but if you can't reach a deal, we won't be your nanny forever."
Britain's Minister for the Middle East and North Africa...
Appalled by Israeli Defence Minister Katz's proposal to move Gaza's population to Rafah. Palestinian territory must not be reduced. Civilians must be able to return to their communities. We need to move towards a ceasefire deal and open a pathway to lasting peace.
The two-step: Tell Trump what he wants to hear in their meeting AND then dial it down afterward (and anonymously).
Senior Israeli official: Getting a deal on Gaza “might take more than just a few days.”
Anne Applebaum in The Atlantic: Trump says he wants peace. But every key decision his administration makes helps Putin keep fighting. Weapons blocked. Sanctions stalled. Disinfo unchallenged. She explains how the U.S. is realigning - toward Moscow. 1/
⚡️Update: Russia strikes residential building in Kyiv as Moscow launches waves of drones on Ukraine. Multiple fires were reported in different neighborhoods of Kyiv amid a Russian drone attack on the capital late on July 3. kyivindependent.com/kyiv-under-att…
here's a sentence you don't see every day. nytimes.com/2025/07/02/bus…
This landmark study in The Lancet should be etched on @elonmusk's gravestone: Dismantling USAID is projected to cause 14 million deaths between 2025 and 2030 — that’s more than 2.4 million lives lost every year. That’s as many lives lost as in World War I.
All eyes on Trump: meet the top 50 foreign policy influencers navigating Canada’s role in a rocky world #cdnpoli buff.ly/FFDHZM6
The United States has suspended the supply of Patriot missiles and other critical ammunition to Ukraine, Politico reported on Tuesday, citing sources, with White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly subsequently confirming the development to reporters. ⤵️
BREAKING: White House confirms it has halted weapons that Ukraine was scheduled to receive, including PAC3 Patriots, 155mm artillery rounds, GMLRS, Stinger, AIM-7, and Hellfire missiles. @AnnaKelly47 tells me: “This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a…