By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -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,

The contested region is where Russia’s war in Ukraine began a decade ago. Scores of Ukrainian soldiers have died defending it. Would Ukraine give it up now?

As Trump pushes for peace, Ukraine accuses Russia of a deadly drone and missile strike, "as if there were no efforts by the world to stop this war."

Moscow continues to throw cold water on the prospect of Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, and is insisting Russia have a role in security guarantees for Ukraine.

The Donbas region in eastern Ukraine has long been contested by Russia, with military aggression forcing 1.5 million Ukrainians to flee over the past decade. Ukraine has consistently rejected conceding Donbas to the Kremlin in exchange for peace, though Trump stressed the need for "swapping of territories".

Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff says Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to allow the U.S. and Europe to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense mandate.

Russia's top military and political officials joined Putin in the closed city of Sarov, which houses the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, on Aug. 22.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants a "strong reaction" from the U.S. if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not sit down with him for a bilateral meeting.