Putin, for Ukraine peace, wants a pledge to halt Nato enlargement, sources say

After speaking to Trump for more than two hours last week, Putin said that he had agreed to work with Ukraine on a memorandum that would establish the contours of a peace accord. Picture: Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

President Vladimir Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraineinclude a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging Nato eastwards and lift a chunk of sanctions on Russia, according to three Russian sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the deadliest European conflict since the Second World War and has shown increasing frustration with Putin in recent days, warning on Tuesday the Russian leader was "playing with fire" by refusing to engage in ceasefire talks with Kyiv as his forces made gains on the battlefield.