In a rare excursion out of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy flew to Brussels on Thursday to lobby European Union leaders for more weapons - above all, fighter jets - and a quick start to talks for his country to join the EU.

DIPLOMACY

* In a speech to the European Parliament, Zelenskiy gave thanks for weapons and equipment his country had received.

* Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said NATO must act together on jets for Ukraine.

* The Kremlin said Zelenskiy's request for British jets, made on a visit to London on Wednesday, would draw out the conflict and make it more painful for Ukraine.

* Zelenskiy met French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Paris for talks over dinner. Both vowed continued support for Ukraine. Macron bestowed France's Legion of Honour upon Zelenskiy.

* The United States, which has refused to send Kyiv F-16 fighter jets, is expected to announce a $2 billion weapons package in coming days that would include rockets with bombs that double the range of those it sent last year.

* Western partners could deliver the first battalion of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine in the first three or four months of this year, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday during a trip to Warsaw.

RUSSIA

* International prosecutors said they had found "strong indications" that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the use in Ukraine of a Russian missile system that shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) over eastern Ukraine in 2014. The Kremlin, which has repeatedly denied any Russian state involvement in the past, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

* Russian authorities are discussing a one-off budget contribution from businesses this year of about 200-250 billion roubles ($2.8-$3.5 billion), three sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters, as Moscow seeks to rein in its widening budget deficit.

* Western sanctions on Russia have significantly reduced state oil revenues and diverted tens of billions of dollars towards shipping and refining firms, some with Russian connections.

FIGHTING

* Russian attacks remained intense on Wednesday in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, said Ukrainian officials. Moscow's forces concentrated on the areas of Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut and Aviivka, the General Staff said on Facebook.

* Kyiv says it expects Moscow to broaden that offensive with a big push as the Feb. 24 anniversary of the invasion approaches.

QUOTES

* "France and Germany have the potential to be game changers and that's how I see our talks today," Zelenskiy said. "The sooner we get heavy long range weapons and our pilots get modern planes ... the quicker this Russian aggression will end."

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Compiled by Michael Perry)