Ukraine and Russia: what you need to know

European Union leaders are meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, bringing the promise of new sanctions against Russia but likely dashing Ukraine’s hope for swift EU membership.

CONFLICT

* CIA director William Burns said the intelligence agency assesses that the next six months will be “critical” for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion.

* Russia, determined to make progress before Ukraine gets newly promised Western battle tanks and armoured vehicles, has picked up momentum on the eastern front and announced advances north and south of Bakhmut, which has suffered persistent bombardment for months.

* Russian forces are pushing from both the north and south to encircle Bakhmut, using superior troop numbers to try to cut it off from re-supply and force the Ukrainians out, Ukrainian military analyst Yevhen Dikiy said.

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russian forces would respond to the delivery of longer-range Western weapons to Kyiv by trying to push Ukrainian forces further away from its borders to create a safe buffer zone.

* Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said Russia’s arms suppliers would “significantly” increase their deliveries this year to help inflict a “crushing defeat” on Ukraine.

* Reuters could not verify battlefield reports.

ARMS, AID, DIPLOMACY

* The German government approved the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine from industrial stocks and is in talks to buy back 15 Gepard tanks from Qatar to send to Kyiv, Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Friday.

* EU countries will seek a deal on Friday on a European Commission proposal to set price caps on Russian oil products amid divisions between member states, diplomats said.

* Poland believes it will be possible to build a coalition of some 40 countries, including the United States, Britain and Canada, by February 10 backing calls to block Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Olympics, a Polish minister said.

CORRUPTION CRACKDOWN

* Ukrainian authorities are investigating senior military officials in two separate cases of suspected corruption, officials said – part of a crackdown on wrongdoing before talks with European Union leaders.