Volodymyr Zelensky is coming to town.
EU leaders are expected to welcome Ukraine’s leader to Brussels on Thursday during a European Council summit, providing a dramatic moment of support for Western allies as Ukraine braces for an expected Russian attack.
The Ukrainian leader is expected to arrive in Brussels on Thursday after stops in London and Paris on Wednesday, where he tried to drum up support for the delivery of fighter jets to Ukraine. He is expected to meet EU leaders and address the European Parliament.
Zelensky’s expected arrival overshadowed a gathering that was initially scheduled as a special session to address immigration. Brussels is under intense pressure from countries such as Austria and the Netherlands to get EU leaders to discuss the issue, given the growing number of people entering the bloc outside legal channels.
But leaders don’t expect much concrete progress on the issue beyond encouraging swift action to resolve the issue.
Leaders must also address concerns that a massive US green subsidy push will drive investment and jobs away from Europe.
While EU behemoths France and Germany are keen to relax strict limits on how much money Brussels can pump into their own companies, smaller countries fear the move could put governments on tight budgets at a disadvantage.
Follow along here on our live blog, where POLITICO’s cast of thousands will bring you all the quotes, observations and accuracy they can manage from the summit.