Volodymyr Zelenskyy is coming to town.
EU leaders are expected to welcome the Ukrainian leader to Brussels on Thursday during a European Council summit, providing a theatrical moment of support for western allies as Ukraine prepares for an anticipated Russian offensive.
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 fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine. He’s expected to meet with EU leaders and address the European Parliament.
Zelenskyy’s anticipated arrival has overshadowed a gathering that was initially scheduled as a special session to address migration. Brussels has been under intense pressure from countries like Austria and the Netherlands to have EU leaders discuss the issue, given the rising number of people entering the bloc outside legal channels.
But leaders aren’t expecting to make much concrete progress on the issue beyond encouraging swifter work to address the matter.
Leaders will also have to address the anxiety that a massive U.S. green subsidy push will lure investments and jobs away from Europe.
While EU behemoths France and Germany are eager to see Brussels loosen its strict limits on when governments can pump money into their own companies, smaller countries fear the move may just disadvantage governments with tighter budgets.
Follow along here on our live blog, where POLITICO’s cast of thousands will bring you all the quotes, observations and pithy asides they can manage from the summit.