Missiles

Hello from the FT newsroom. Tuesday was the 1,000th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It also marked the first time that Ukraine struck a Russian military target with US-made long-range missiles .

US President Joe Biden’s administration has long resisted giving Kyiv permission to use Atacms (Army Tactical Missile System) weapons, for fear of escalating tensions with Moscow. But Washington’s pivot is the right move , even if it comes too late, wrote the FT’s editorial board. The next day, Ukraine launched British-made Storm Shadow missiles at Russian military targets for the first time. This morning, Russia retaliated .

President-elect Donald Trump’s promise that he will end the war in Ukraine has intensified the conflict; both sides are seeking to gain an upper hand that they could use in peace talks. In an interview with the FT, Estonia’s foreign minister said European leaders should be ready to send their troops into Ukraine to underpin any such deal.

My choices this week

1. The details of Donald Trump’s proposed cabinet are continuing to emerge; private equity billionaire Marc Rowan is a top contender for Treasury secretary , but the Apollo boss still faces stiff competition.
2. As Washington attempts to curb Beijing’s progress on artificial intelligence, our China tech correspondent Eleanor Olcott revealed that Chinese tech groups are expanding their presence in Silicon Valley in an effort to poach top talent. (If you would like to read Eleanor’s story for free, you can do so on the FT Edit app , which gives you eight of our best stories every weekday, handpicked by our editors)
3. A decade ago, the UK had friends in high places — not least the US, the EU and China — and maintained a very comfortable geopolitical position. How did Britain squander the best hand in the world?
4. KPMG’s UK business was in chaos when Jon Holt took the reins in April 2021. He’s had success turning around the scandal-hit company, but is it really rehabilitation for KPMG, or just managed decline? (Free to read)
5. AI is transforming the way that robots learn to navigate the physical world around them. So, are the robots finally coming? This fascinating visual story shows what they are capable of .
6. Nicholas Cullinan is overseeing the most ambitious museum reconstruction ever attempted . The British Museum director discusses the scale of the challenge, a devastating theft scandal and the political tightrope of repatriation in last weekend’s Lunch with the FT. (Free to read)

Thanks for reading,

Patrick

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