Myroslava Petsa
BBC News Ukrainian, reporting from Washington DC

Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump’s relationship has been more like a Netflix drama than typical diplomacy.

Early in Zelensky’s presidency, Trump was accused of pressuring Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Although Zelensky denied he was pressured, it’s unlikely that Trump has forgotten that their phone call ultimately led to his first impeachment.

But thanks to strong bipartisan support in Congress, it was on Trump’s watch that Ukraine received much-needed lethal weapons after Russia first attacked Ukraine in 2014.

During his re-election campaign, Trump called Zelensky “the best salesman in the world” for convincing the Biden administration to keep supporting Ukraine.

Two weeks ago, during talks over the minerals deal, Trump branded Zelensky a “dictator” and falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war with Russia.

In response, Zelensky fact-checked Trump, hinting that he might be living in a Russian “disinformation bubble”.

Despite tensions, the two presidents share more similarities than may meet the eye. Both are unorthodox, arguably populist, politicians, who came to power after hit TV shows made them household names.

Both are known for swiftly implementing policies and reforms.

They meet at the White House today to sign a deal which could mark a new chapter in US-Ukraine relations - or at least bring a sense of normality back to their relationship.

Former adviser to President Zelensky Oleg Ustenko tells the BBC he would recommend the US and Ukraine sign a minerals deal.

He adds: "I would be checking very very closely, all the issues related to access to the rare earths in terms of timing, quantity and ensuring that the market is competitive - and definitely, definitely, I do not believe it's the right strategy now to pay for what was already invested."

On Trump's comments that Americans were paying for part of Ukraine's expenditures, including military expenditure, Ustenko says he doesn't believe that somebody can really ask to pay back what was given as a grant.

"There was an agreement done with the United States, so I don't believe we have got to repay back what was granted to the country, which was in a state of war," he says.

"For us it is much more important for this deal to have security guarantees. This is a key issue for us. We have to win the peace. This is part of our own strategy of winning the peace."

Pressure mounts for Ukraine as Zelensky prepares for Trump meetingpublished at 13:03 Greenwich Mean Time 28 February

13:03 GMT 28 February

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring's Russia editor

As Volodymyr Zelensky prepares to meet Donald Trump later today, details of the deal which the two leaders are expected to sign remain sketchy.

It’s still not clear what Ukraine will be getting in return for giving the US access to its vast natural resources. Washington has ruled out deploying troops to Ukraine, or agreeing to the country’s Nato accession. President Trump says that he wants America’s money back, and that he is not going to provide security guarantees “beyond very much”.

In reality, this means that the best-case scenario for President Zelensky is getting the US to continue providing military and financial assistance, even at greatly reduced levels.

The truth is that Ukraine heavily depends on continued US help, but apart from natural resources it has few other ways of convincing Donald Trump that this is in America’s interests.

The US president’s softer rhetoric on Zelensky is one sign of hope for the Ukrainian leader with hours to go before the crucial talks.

Image source, Getty Images

The highly-anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today comes after the pair have exchanged a war of words since Trump took office earlier this year.

Tensions fray over ending war

In January, Trump said "it's time to make a deal", either "the easy way or the hard way".

Zelensky, who also backed a deal to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, later criticised the exclusion of Kyiv in US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia.

The blame game

Tensions seemed to hit a new high when Trump appeared to blame Ukraine for the war.

The Ukrainian president hit back and said: "The United States helped Putin to break out of years of isolation."

Trump's 'dictator' comment

The US president also sparked criticism this month when he labelled Zelensky a "dictator" after the Ukrainian leader said Trump was "living in a disinformation space" governed by Moscow.

However, Trump appeared to walk back on this claim on Thursday, saying he could not believe he said this and describing Zelensky as "very brave".

• Read more on their relationship here: From congratulations to insults...Trump and Zelensky, in their own words

More now on Russia and Ukraine's exchange of fire in the last 24 hours.

In addition to Russia's attacks on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region and northern city of Sumy, five private houses and three high-rise buildings were damaged as a result of an attack on Zaporzhia, regional head Ivan Fedorov says, adding that an 82-year-old woman was injured.

In Kherson, Russian forces targeted 35 settlements, including the regional centre of Kherson. Seven people were injured, according to the governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

And three people were killed in drone and artillery strikes on the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Kherson region, Reuters news agency reports citing Russian state news agencies.

Ukraine's military also said a statement on Telegram that they hit Russia's Ilsky oil refinery, which is located in Krasnodar, and a Russian weapons storage facility in the occupied Donetsk region overnight.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring's Russia editor

Three people have been killed and seven wounded in Russian attacks on Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, regional administration head Vadym Filashkin says in his morning update published on social media.

According to him, more than 50 buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

In the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy, two local residents have been injured and four residential high-rise buildings damaged in a Russian drone attack, Ukrainian police say.

According to the update, two people were wounded and 20 buildings damaged in Russian attacks in the region, which also involved artillery and bombs.

In the northeast of Ukraine, regional administration chief Oleh Synehubov says the local energy system came under a “massive” attack involving at least 20 Russian drones yesterday evening.

He also says five people were wounded and dozens of buildings damaged in the region.

Ukraine’s air force says Russia used 208 drones overnight, of which 107 were shot down and 97 “failed to reach their targets”.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring's Russia editor

Image source, SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Like everyone else, the Kremlin is eagerly awaiting the outcome of today's Trump-Zelensky meeting.

At a briefing with reporters this morning, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is asked about the US president’s softer rhetoric on his Ukrainian counterpart, and he says: “Let’s wait for today’s contacts, their results and statements that will be made afterwards.”

A Russian journalist then says Trump has been accused of “talking to everyone but Putin from a position of force” and asks Peskov how Russia should conduct dialogue with the US.

Peskov responds by saying that Russia “wants to conduct dialogue not just with the US but with all countries from the position of mutual respect and mutual benefit”.

The reporter then says a colleague had told him it should be conducted "from the position of truth”, referring to a Russian proverb: "Everyone’s got their own truth."

"I can’t agree with your colleague," Peskov responds.

Last week, US President Donald Trump made headlines by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" in a social media post.

Trump also accused Zelensky of doing a "terrible job", claiming "he refuses to have elections" in Ukraine.

But when asked by the BBC's Chris Mason about his use of the word "dictator" on Thursday, the US leader responded: "Did I say that? I can't believe I would say that."

Trump later praised Zelensky as "very brave", saying the pair got on "really well", during a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

• BBC Verify fact-checked Trump's comments about the war in Ukraine, including his claim Zelensky is a "dictator without elections" here

Zelensky in from the cold, but not yet warmpublished at 11:30 Greenwich Mean Time 28 February

11:30 GMT 28 February

James Waterhouse
Ukraine correspondent in Kyiv

Ahead of their first face-to-face encounter since Donald Trump called Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” responsible for Russia’s invasion of his country, there has been a warming in the former’s language.

Although, granted, it couldn’t have been much frostier.

Yesterday, the US president praised Ukraine’s leader as “very brave” who he “respected”.

What’s changed? The tantalising prospect of a deal which would give America access to billions of dollars’ worth of Ukraine’s natural resources.

For Ukraine, this agreement isn’t yet the dawn of a new relationship which will secure its future. It’s more of a political punt.

Despite the friendly visits of Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer before him, President Zelensky has yet to secure the US security guarantees he and Europe desperately want in return.

Ahead of leaving Ukraine, Zelensky told me without an assurance that the US would step in if a ceasefire was broken, “nothing would work, nothing”.

He hopes this initial signing will lead to a deeper cooperation in the future.

Whether it does or not, Ukraine’s leader has no choice but to try and engage with his unpredictable ally.

Later today we'll be reporting live as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets US President Donald Trump in Washington.

This comes after French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the White House on separate occasions this week to also discuss the war in Ukraine.

Here's a brief look at what we can expect from today:

• At 11:00 ET (16:00 GMT) Zelensky and Trump will meet at the White House - a ceremony will mark the meeting of the two world leaders in the lobby of the West Wing
• Trump and Zelensky will continue their discussions, with short statements expected to be made from both world leaders in the Oval Office
• After a working lunch, the pair will answer questions from members of the media from 13:00 local time (18:00 GMT)
• Later in the evening, at around 19:00 ET (00:00 GMT), Zelensky will then meet with representatives from the Ukrainian community - before jetting off to the UK ahead of a meeting with Starmer and EU leaders this weekend

We'll be providing updates throughout the day so stick with us.

Image source, PA Media

We've been hearing this morning from Lord Gavin Barwell - Theresa May's former chief of staff - reacting to Keir Starmer's visit to Washington.

"There will be huge sighs of relief on the plane back," he tells BBC 5 Live, adding that Donald Trump "is not an easy person to have a meeting with".

"One of the things we’ve got going in our favour versus the EU is that President Trump does have a sentimental attachment to the UK, and Scotland in particular because of his family connection," he says.

Barwell says Trump will have appreciated the invitation from King Charles III for a second state visit: "Starmer has absolutely given him what he wants and it’s not a card you can play too often. I entirely understand why the government wanted to play this card at this relatively early point in their relationship."

• As a reminder: During the meeting between Trump and Starmer on Thursday, the UK prime minister pulled out an official letter from King Charles III inviting the US president for an "unprecedented" second state visit. Trump said he accepted the invite and that it would be an "honour".

Image source, Reuters

The meeting between Keir Starmer and Donald Trump on Thursday was not just a big day for the two leaders, but also for the UK's new ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson.

The political veteran, who helped mastermind Labour's renewal in the 1980s and 1990s, was appointed to the role of ambassador in December last year and his visit to Washington this week mark's his first diplomatic engagement.

Earlier this month, he told the BBC that the UK must respect Trump's "strong and clear mandate for change".

He said the UK would not necessarily agree with every detail of Trump's agenda, but added: "We have to respect and understand what drives him, what his mandate is to do, and how his allies need to adjust sometimes."

Mandelson also said his past criticisms of Trump were "ill-judged and wrong". In 2019, he described the president as being "reckless and a danger to the world".

• Watch: New ambassador to US Peter Mandelson speaks to the BBC

Chris Mason
Political editor

Image source, Getty Images

The prime minister's appointment with President Donald Trump, a wildly unpredictable showman of very different political hue, could so easily have been awkward, even excruciating.

But it wasn't. As the Downing Street team return to the UK, they are happy with how it went.

For some time senior figures were confident they had built a good rapport with Trump. Of course, they couldn't be certain, because barely anyone ever can be with Trump.

The proposed UK-US deal Trump made mention of is expected to be narrow, with an initial focus at least on the technology sector.

But there does remain considerable uncertainty about the practicalities of a peace plan for Ukraine. The prime minister talked about the importance of "winning the peace" and not merely stopping the fighting.

The UK accepts there is no prospect whatsoever of American troops on the ground in Ukraine, but the government would like the US to provide air cover to protect British and other European peacekeepers.

Trump has argued that the presence of Americans in Ukraine extracting the rare earth minerals expected to be part of the peace deal will be enough to ensure Vladimir Putin thinks twice before attempting further advances.

The security guarantees Ukraine wants will be a key focus at a summit on Sunday hosted by the prime minister in London.

• Chris Mason: Starmer wins Trump over - but Ukraine uncertainty lingers

Image source, Getty Images

During a two-day state visit to Portugal, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europeans to show themselves "more united and strong than ever", AFP and local media report., external

He warned on Thursday that when it comes to the US, "submission is not the answer", adding that he is "not for happy vassalisation".

He urged Europeans to "rediscover (the) taste for risk, ambition and power", in the face of the unpredictability of Donald Trump, both on the issue of Ukraine and customs duties.

As a reminder, Macron was the first of three leaders to meet Trump this week to discuss the war in Ukraine. During the talks on Monday, Macron spoke about how both countries wanted peace and agreed that Europe needed to take more responsibility for its own security.

Since then, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has met the US president, with discussions ranging from securing peace in Ukraine to the UK's Chagos deal, and today we're expecting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House - which we'll bring you live when the time comes.

Dharshini David
Chief economics correspondent

With the US remaining the UK’s biggest trading partner, enhancing that relationship has clear attractions.

Previous attempts at a post-Brexit deal stalled under the Biden administration as that president had other priorities, and there were also the potential stumbling blocks such as differences in food standards.

The “economic arrangement” hinted at could look very different this time, centred on different areas. That’s not to be sniffed at, almost a quarter of our services exports goes to the US, with financial services and technology playing a key part.

Just like the ambitions, the potential economic gains are unknown - the deal previously mooted may have only added less than 0.2% to our GDP in 15 years. And there were some mini pacts struck under the previous government, such as a vow to tear down trade barriers with individual US states.

But the goal here may be not so much about the gains and reducing tariffs on goods, but avoiding the damage of the extra tariffs President Trump is imposing on the products of many other countries.

Image source, EPA

All this talk of a US-UK trade deal, and how it may mean tariffs aren't necessary for Britain, may have you wondering what tariffs are actually being referred to. Let's take a look.

Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose tariffs on many of the US' allies, including a 25% import tax on all steel and aluminium entering the US - which could potentially hit the UK.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has raised 10% tariffs on goods from China and taken steps to hit other imports with duties.

Earlier this month, he ordered 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, America's top two trading partners. But, he suspended the duties before they went into effect until 4 March, to allow for talks on border security.

Trump also hinted at imposing 25% tariffs on goods made in the European Union, claiming the bloc was created to "screw the United States".

The EU has rejected the president's claims, saying the creation of a regional market had made doing business in Europe easier for American firms. And Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X yesterday that the EU "wasn’t formed to screw anyone".

Image source, Getty Images

Political consultant and pollster Frank Luntz says Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump "not only got on, but seemed to understand each other" in yesterday's meeting.

In an interview on BBC Breakfast, he says he gives Starmer "tremendous credit" for offering an invitation from the King for Trump to be hosted in a second state visit so quickly into their discussion.

The prime minister did not get everything he wanted, Luntz says, but Starmer was able to save the UK from a "tariff war" with the US.

"They will be coming home to a positive and significant success, but not entirely everything they sought to get in this conversation," he adds.

BBC Political correspondent Damian Grammaticas has taken a look back at Starmer's meeting with Trump at the White House - dissecting everything from the grip of the handshake to the theatre of the UK Prime Minister revealing a letter from the King.

Watch Damian's unpicking of the important moments in the meeting between the two world leaders:

Iain Watson
Political correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

On 5 Live Breakfast, Health Secretary Wes Streeting's asked why he opposed President Trump's last state visit to the UK but backs the offer of a new one. He had signed a petition in 2019 calling for the invitation to be rescinded, but now says he thinks "the world has changed".

"I’m sure there will be people this time saying, 'I don’t agree with President Trump and his policies' and the great thing about living in a democracy is that people are free to do that," he says after Trump was invited to visit the UK for a second time as US president.

On the Trump-Starmer meeting yesterday, he says there is "a heavy weight of responsibility on the shoulders of this prime minister to make sure the special relationship is as strong as ever" - and what Keir Starmer has "done successfully is to build a strong friendship based on what we have in common".

In a separate interview, he tells BBC Breakfast Starmer's visit to Washington was "a spectacular success". The caveat, he says, is that the "hard yards are still ahead" on a trade deal and that President Trump is "not a pushover".

As we've been reporting, Donald Trump hinted that the UK may avoid export tariffs from the US, saying there was "a very good chance" of a trade deal "where tariffs wouldn't be necessary".

The head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce - a former Labour MP and minister - tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that businesses will be encouraged by this "important first step".

"In trade negotiations, relationships matter," says William Bain, adding that seeing Starmer and Trump finding common ground on their respective economies and trade is "helpful".

He adds that a deal to keep tariffs low would most benefit automotive and pharmaceutical industries in the UK, noting that yesterday's discussions are an "excellent start".