Hello and welcome to NewsAff from the BBC World Service. We're coming to you live from London.

I'm James Menendez. Days of speculation, rhetoric and behind the scenes and negotiations come to a head in less than two hours' time when the Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky meets Donald Trump at the White House.

Not long ago, it looked as if Ukraine was being completely cut out of all talks about its future and a possible peace deal with Russia. Indeed, those negotiations between the US and Russia are continuing without Kiev's direct input. But now, Mr Zelensky will have an opportunity to put his case and to sign an outline deal with the US about exploiting Ukraine's extensive mineral deposits.

And some of President Trump's language about his Ukrainian counterparts seems to be softening.

Yesterday, during the visit by Britain's Prime Minister, he described him as very brave. A point brought up in the news conference

by the BBC's political editor, Chris Mason. Mr. President, do you still think that Mr. Zelensky is a dictator?

Did I say that? I can't believe I said that. Next question.

Well, even if the US is able to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia, the big question for Ukraine and, indeed, its European allies, is whether Vladimir Putin would honor the terms of the agreement.

This was President Trump's response.

I've known him for a long time now, and I don't believe he's going to violate his word.

I don't think he'll be back. When we make a deal, I think the deal is going to hold. Now,

they're going to have security. You're going to have security. You're going to have soldiers.

I know France wants to be there. He's, the president has said. He wants to have soldiers there. I don't think we're going to even be necessary,

but I don't think there'll be any problem with keeping the deal with the security.

Let's talk to the BBC's Tom Bateman, who joins us in from Washington. And Tom, from that,

it doesn't sound like Donald Trump's going to give much ground on security guarantees. Is that where we're at?

Well, I think it's exactly comments like that from President Trump yesterday that will have

sent shudders through President Zelensky and everyone else in Ukraine, frankly, because it is

the very core of what Mr. Zelensky is not just requesting, but demanding basically as part of any

agreement with the United States, that there is a US-backed security agreement. Now, what the

Europeans are interpreting that as is, at the very least, United States air cover, the ability

to send planes over Ukraine to enforce a peace

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