After several days of speculation and uncertainty, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Belgium, where he will personally deliver a speech at the European Parliament for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
The plane in which Zelenskyy travelled to Brussels – along with French President Emmanuel Macron – landed in the military airport in Melsbroek, just outside of Brussels, around 10:00 on Thursday morning.
He was welcomed there by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel.
From Melsbroek, Zelenskyy drove to the European Parliament in Brussels, where was in turn welcomed there by President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, after which the national anthem of Ukraine and the European anthem resounded.
After Zelenskyy's speech, he will join the summit of the 27 European Union heads of state and government, as confirmed by Metsola on Thursday morning.
"I hope you will attend this historic moment for our parliament and our shared European project," Metsola stated, reminding those reading that the European Parliament will be the first assembly to receive Zelenskyy since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Update: Zelenskyy's historic address to the European Parliament can be read here.
