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Good morning from the Financial Times.

Today is Thursday, February 23rd.

This is your FT News Briefing.

This week will mark a year since Russia invaded Ukraine,

and we'll hear from a Ukrainian lawmaker who's trying to hold Russia accountable for its actions.

But first, look at some of the companies who are benefiting from the war.

I'm Mark Filipino, and here's the news you need to start your day.

Western support for Ukraine has driven up shares in U.S. and European defense companies,

leading global benchmark for the defense sector is up almost 30% since the start of October.

Europe's stocks, aerospace, and defense index has risen just over a third or the same period.

Investors are betting on increased military spending by Western governments,

and the gains reflect a growing belief that the conflict is unlikely to end anytime soon.

Russia's war in Ukraine has gone on for nearly a year.

We're going to hear the recollections of 35-year-old Ukrainian lawmaker Lesia Vezalenko.

She's an international lawyer who's using her legal skills to try and force Russia to pay

for its actions. Vezalenko spoke with the FT's Chief Foreign Affairs commentator Gideon

Rockman for the Rockman Review podcast. This is an excerpt from their conversation.

We must end this war by summer this year, and we must end it with Ukraine's victory,

because the victory of Ukraine is the victory of the democratic free world,

and it's also a victory of the Russian people as human beings.

...