Biden Heads to Europe for 'Giant Meeting of NATO'

President Biden is headed to Europe Wednesday for a four-day trip that has Russia and the Ukraine at its nexus. As national security adviser Jake Sullivan put it to reporters on Tuesday, per the AP, "This war will not end easily or rapidly. For the past few months, the West has been united. The president is traveling to Europe to make sure we stay united." What you need to know:

• On the agenda: Biden will spend most of Wednesday traveling and on Thursday attend what ABC News calls "an extraordinary summit of all 30 NATO leaders" in Brussels. He'll then attend G7 and European Council meetings before heading on Friday to Poland, which has taken in 2 million Ukrainian refugees. There, he'll meet with US troops ahead of a Saturday meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
• Expectations: Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul puts it like so to NBC News: "It will feel very flat if there is this giant meeting of NATO, the most powerful alliance in the world, and the only outcome from it is a statement of solidarity. That will not look like a strong move. That will be demoralizing for Zelensky and uplifting for Putin." He'd like to see fresh sanctions against Russian oligarchs, more military equipment directed to Ukraine, and ramped-up economic pressure in the form of an oil embargo.

• Sanctions: Sullivan said they're coming in a joint announcement set to be made by Biden and EU leaders Thursday. He didn't give details, but the Wall Street Journal—which notes the existing sanctions are already "the biggest coordinated package of sanctions ever levied against a major economy"—had some insight. Per sources and documents it viewed, the paper reports more than 300 members of the Russian State Duma will have sanctions slapped on them.
• Also: European diplomats say they're considering putting the squeeze on Russian ships' ability to call at ports on the continent. The Journal adds that the US and EU are hoping to resolve some unrelated issues (including around digital data stored in the US regarding European citizens), in a bid to show a more united front across the board.
• Nuclear discussions: Sullivan said Biden and his European counterparts would be talking about “potential responses" should Vladimir Putin decide to use a nuclear weapon.

(More President Biden stories.)