Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up all of the eastern Donbas region, renounce ambitions to join NATO, remain neutral and keep Western troops out of the country, three sources familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking told Reuters.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander, discusses possible future security guarantees for Ukraine that could help forge a peace agreement.

On Tuesday, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the possibility of NATO-backed security guarantees as a “breakthrough,” noting that the U.S. was now working “at pace” with 30 or so other countries, which he called a “coalition of the willing,” to help Ukraine.

Nato defense chiefs held a “candid discussion” on Wednesday about what security guarantees they could offer Ukraine – as Russia warned that any talks without its participation were a “road to nowhere”.