Ukraine’s new defence minister has blamed Germany for blocking the supply of weaponry to Kyiv through Nato, despite US warnings of a possible imminent invasion by Russian forces.
Oleksii Reznikov told the Financial Times that Berlin had in the past month vetoed Ukraine’s purchase of anti-drone rifles and anti-sniper systems via the Nato Support and Procurement Agency. However, Germany had since relented on the first item after deeming it non-lethal.
“They are still building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and at the same time blocking our defensive weapons. It is very unfair,” Reznikov said, referring to the Russian gas pipeline, which runs through the Baltic Sea to Germany and bypasses existing supply routes through Ukraine.
Kyiv has struggled to plugs gaps in its military capabilities with allies wary of supplying arms that may be deemed a provocation — or even a pretext for escalation — by Russian president Vladimir Putin. Ukraine is urgently seeking to acquire anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems, electronic warfare kit and cyber defence equipment.
Thanks for reading FirstFT Asia. Here’s the rest of today’s news — Emily
Five more stories in the news
1. China’s CPTPP application allays South Korea fears South Korea will apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, after China’s application to the regional trade pact assuaged Seoul’s fears of upsetting its biggest trade partner.
2. Deaths mount after ‘unprecedented’ US tornadoes Rescue efforts continued yesterday after what the governor of Kentucky described as the “longest and deadliest” tornado event in American history left dozens dead and a trail of devastation through the US south and midwest.
3. Beijing to moderate monetary policy to support growth The Chinese Communist party’s annual year-end economic planning meeting, which closed on Friday in Beijing, said it would “prioritise stability”, according to the official Xinhua agency. It added that China’s economy faced “triple pressure” from shrinking demand, supply shocks and weakening expectations.
4. Nicaragua cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan Managua said it was severing its longstanding diplomatic relations with Taiwan and would recognise the government in Beijing as the sole seat of power in China. The decision follows a similar pledge from Xiomara Castro, the incoming president in Honduras, and underscores China’s escalating campaign to isolate Taiwan.
5. UK spy chief raises fears over China’s digital renminbi The digital currency, which is being heavily promoted ahead of the Beijing winter Olympics, risks becoming a tool to surveil users and exert control over global currency transactions, Sir Jeremy Fleming, the director of UK signals intelligence agency GCHQ, has warned.
Coronavirus digest
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UK prime minister Boris Johnson announced that all over-18s across England will be offered their Covid-19 booster jab by January. Meanwhile, Johnson
faces renewed criticism over his adherence to coronavirus rules, after photos emerged of him participating in a Christmas quiz last December.
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Tens of thousands of US government employees remain unvaccinated despite a federal vaccine mandate, analysis by the Financial Times has revealed.
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Health officials in Africa have complained of the EU’s sluggish vaccine rollout to poorer countries, with deliveries sometimes arriving in unpredictable quantities.
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The tentative revival in the travel industry has stalled as airline and hotel bookings have fallen following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
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As health officials worldwide try to contain the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, which has been detected in more than 50 countries on six continents, scientists continue to puzzle over its origins, giving rise to competing theories.
The day ahead
US secretary of state visits south-east Asia Antony Blinken, the top US diplomat, will visit Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia as the Biden administration increases engagement in the region in an effort to counter China. (Reuters)
Hong Kong to sentence pro-democracy activists The territory’s District Court is expected to sentence to prison five pro-democracy activists including media mogul Jimmy Lai for taking part in an unauthorised assembly at last year’s Tiananmen Square vigil.
Opec monthly report The group is set to release its monthly oil market report. Sign up for our Energy Source newsletter, delivered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for the latest.
What else we’re reading
North Korea looks across the border for its biggest threat Analysts argue that Pyongyang’s dependence on Beijing is deeply uncomfortable for North Korean officials who have long seen China — not the US — as the principal threat to the regime’s long-term survival.
Millions of Indians join the rush into retail investing Enabled by technology and access to some of the world’s cheapest data, retail investors now account for 45 per cent of total trading market share in India, with their rise mirroring the surge of traders in the US and UK that have driven meme-stock mania.
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Related read: FT Money’s investment panel predicts bulls, bears and frogs in the year ahead.
Inside JPMorgan’s client poaching row A battle over who gets to manage baseball player Alex Rodriguez’s wealth exposes a bitter turf war at the US bank. The situation has devolved into a legal dispute between the bank and one financial adviser, who is arguing that her new colleagues have been trying to poach her billionaire and multimillionaire clients.
Can Britain’s police recover public trust? Accusations of misconduct and a series of flawed investigations have cast doubt on the competence of UK forces. Concerns are particularly intense for sexual assault and rape crimes and cases involving minorities.
A work blunder teaches so much more than a triumph Failure is so obviously a better teacher than success that it is a cliché to mention it. Business books regularly advise that blame-free cultures, where mistakes are acknowledged, help boost productivity and innovation, writes Pilita Clark.
Gifts
From jams and jewellery to arts foundations and food activism, the second How To Spend It philanthropy issue examines all kinds of charitable action. Explore How to Give It 2021.