Aug 21 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

Netherlands and Denmark confirm plans to provide Kyiv with first F-16s

China urges Brics to become geopolitical rival to G7

German minister proposes tougher rules on Chinese foreign direct investment

Donald Trump says he will not appear in Republican primary debates

Overview

The Netherlands and Denmark confirmed plans to provide Kyiv with more than 40 multipurpose F-16 fighter jets, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy said after visiting both countries.

China will push the Brics bloc of emerging markets to become a full-scale rival to the G7 this week, as leaders from across the developing world gather to debate the forum's biggest expansion in more than a decade.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has set out proposals to increase scrutiny of Chinese investments as Europe's largest economy grapples with increased geopolitical risks surrounding its biggest trading partner.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will skip the upcoming Republican primary debates as he holds a commanding lead in the party's polls days before other candidates are scheduled to square off on the dais for the first time. (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)