As Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to four journalists in Paris tonight, he's pushing European allies to "stand strong" in the face of Russian pressure.

Here's how he responded to a question about Russian conditions on the terms of a ceasefire deal from the BBC's Jeremy Bowen:

We're not going to be covering the Zelensky programme with text updates, but you can watch a stream of the interviews by clicking Watch live at the top of this page.

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

As we wait for the interviews to begin, here's a reminder of the thoughts of our International editor Jeremy Bowen, who will be asking the questions for the BBC:

President Zelensky is returning to Europe to rally his allies and convince them to take the threat of Putin seriously.

They are now doing so – some might even say scrambling to do so - but have previously relied on the Americans to do the heavy lifting in terms of military capacity.

After everything Trump has said in the last two months, Europeans realise the Americans may not be there in the future, which has concentrated their minds.

President Zelensky’s challenge is to get them to deliver hard cash commitments rather than just sentiments.

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

International attention for the last few weeks has focused on the lengthy and delicate ceasefire talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, in which the US is acting as a mediator, engaging in so-called "shuttle diplomacy".

But President Zelensky has made no secret of his deep distrust of Russia, even in the event of a ceasefire. Many of Ukraine's European backers agree with his assessment that, in future, Moscow may strike again - and that the US may not be coming to Europe's aid.

To this end, the UK and France have been spearheading efforts to create a so-called "coalition of the willing", which includes more than two dozen countries that are ready to back Ukraine.

"Willing" heads of government, defence ministers and chiefs of staff are now meeting regularly - one such meeting will be hosted tomorrow by President Macron.

This is why Zelensky is in Paris tonight. As his officials engage in diplomacy over a potential ceasefire, he needs to continue to work with Ukraine's partners to reinforce the notion that Ukraine will need a military presence on the ground - and not just a token one.

"We don't need a mere presence to showcase that Europe is present," said the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential administration earlier today. "We don't need peacekeepers, blue helmets, unarmed, or whatever."

"If European countries are serious about making their input, they should be really serious," he added.

Image source, Reuters

In eastern Ukraine, Moscow's war machine has been churning mile by mile through the wide open fields of the Donbas, enveloping and overwhelming villages and towns.

Despite this, Ukrainian forces claim to have recaptured a village in the Luhansk region - in what could be their first successful counter offensive in the east of the country for many months.

Aside from the talks over the Black Sea ceasefire, both countries have also agreed to "develop measures" to implement a ban on attacking energy infrastructure on each other's territory.

Russian strikes on Ukraine's power supply have caused widespread blackouts throughout the war, leaving thousands of people without heating in the cold of winter.

And with daily attacks featuring hundreds of drones leavings hundreds of people injured this week, the tentative peace efforts have some way to go before the effect will be felt on the ground.

This media appearance for Zelensky comes a day after Russia and Ukraine agreed to a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, in separate deals with the US.

Washington said all parties would continue working toward a "durable and lasting peace" in statements announcing the agreements, which came after three days of peace talks in Saudi Arabia.

But shortly after Washington's announcement, the Kremlin said the Black Sea ceasefire would not take effect until sanctions were lifted from Russian banks, producers and exporters involved in the international food and fertiliser trades.

Ukrainian President Zelensky said the deal to halt strikes in the Black Sea was a step in the right direction.

"It is too early to say that it will work, but these were the right meetings, the right decisions, the right steps," he told a press conference in Kyiv.

Jeremy Bowen
International Editor

President Zelensky is returning to Europe to rally his allies and convince them to take the threat of Putin seriously.

They are now doing so – some might even say scrambling to do so - but have previously relied on the Americans to do the heavy lifting in terms of military capacity.

After everything Trump has said in the last two months, Europeans realise the Americans may not be there in the future, which has concentrated their minds.

President Zelensky’s challenge is to get them to deliver hard cash commitments rather than just sentiments.

Image source, Reuters

President Zelensky is taking part in a panel interview with journalists from across Europe, including France, the UK, Germany, Estonia and Finland. Among them is the BBC’s International editor, Jeremy Bowen.

President Zelensky is expected to spend around an hour recording with the correspondents, shortly after meeting with the French President Macron in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower will be lit in the colours of the Ukrainian flag tonight in his honour.

His interview comes ahead of a gathering of heads of governments tomorrow in Paris. That group – known as the coalition of the willing – is attempting to form agreement on what support European and other nations could offer to a ceasefire in Ukraine, should one be agreed.

Zelensky will face questions on the recently announced maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, his vision for a peace plan in Ukraine, and his relationship with the White House and President Trump following their disastrous meeting in the Oval Office last month.

You can watch the programme live from 20:00 GMT.