As Friday draws to a close in Kyiv and in Moscow, here are the key developments of the day:
Ukraine's bid to join the European Union came one step closer as the EU's executive arm recommended giving Ukraine official candidate status. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission head, tweeted: "Ukraine has clearly shown commitment to live up to European values and standards." EU leaders will take up the recommendation later this month, but membership in the bloc can take years to formalize.
