EU leaders to discuss migration in Europe and aid to Ukraine at summit

The summit is also expected to call for a ceasefire and de-escalation of violence in the Middle East.

However, the most contentious issue is expected to be how to deal with illegal migrants arriving in the 27-nation bloc overland from the east and by sea from the south. Most EU governments see this as a political and security risk, fueling the rise of populist and far-right parties and influencing elections.

"Migration will... be a major point of discussion. We will ... focus on concrete measures to prevent irregular migration including strengthened control of our external borders, enhanced partnerships, and reinforced return policies," wrote EU diplomacy chief Charles Michel in his invitation to EU leaders.

The number of illegal migrants arriving in Europe last year was less than a third of the 1 million recorded during the 2015 migration crisis. According to the EU border agency Frontex, the number dropped even further to 166,000 in the first nine months of this year.

However, the number of people arriving at the EU’s border with Belarus surged by 192% year-on-year between January and September, reaching 13,195 people. Meanwhile, the number arriving at Spain’s Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa doubled to 30,616, according to Frontex.

Diplomats said that while the overall number of illegal migrants is decreasing, public perception is shifting, driven by incidents such as the stabbing by an ISIS militant in Solingen, Germany, in August.

Poland has called on the EU to take a stance against Russia and Belarus using migrants as weapons against the EU and other countries and has urged for stricter deportation laws for illegal migrants.

Zelenskyy's visit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the summit, where he plans to present a victory plan that he says could end the war "no later than next year." Zelenskyy is also expected to present the plan at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

He has already unveiled a five-point plan, which Zelenskyy claims includes three secret programs known to key Western leaders, such as US President Joe Biden. While they have expressed strong support for Kyiv, none have given the plan formal approval.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on October 16 that the plan sends a strong signal from Zelensky but added that it doesn’t mean he can say he supports the entire plan. That would be a bit complicated because there are many questions.

Rutte said that the 32 NATO member states would need to discuss the plan in detail to gain a better understanding of it.

"You may have different views on specific aspects of the plan, but that doesn't mean we don't fully support Ukraine," he said.