Russia on Tuesday demanded NATO scrap its 2008 promise to one day give Ukraine membership of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance and dismissed the idea that NATO member forces could be keepers of the peace under some sort of ceasefire deal.

While U.S. officials characterized the talks as the first step in a peace deal, the Russians are portraying them as a way to end Moscow’s isolation.

Europe will invest more in security and lead on providing guarantees to Kyiv, but cooperation with Washington to secure peace remains crucial, European leaders said after an emergency meeting held ahead of U.