CIAO from Italy, where the annual summit of G7 leaders kicks off later today. Global Playbook will be with you through Saturday, bringing you all the news and analysis from Puglia with a stellar cast of POLITICO journalists on the ground. WHAT'S A BIT OF LUXURY AMONG FRIENDS? Preparations are in full swing at the Borgo Egnazia, a luxury hotel on the Adriatic coast just south of the port city of Bari. The hotel, personally chosen by host Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as the venue for the high point of Italy’s presidency of the G7, typically costs about €5,000 a night. It’s famously the location of the Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel nuptials in 2012 — and a favorite holiday hideaway of the Beckhams. HIGH POLITICS: Over the next few days, though, the swanky hotel will become the site of high politics and global decision-making as the leaders of seven of the world’s most advanced economies — plus a string of high-profile hangers on, including Pope Francis — gather there. First up: Tonight, the leaders and their partners will be transported by helicopter to the Swabian Castle of Brindisi for a lavish state dinner hosted by Italian President Sergio Mattarella. How the other half live: Spare a thought for your Global Playbook writer and the hundreds of international journalists who are based in the less salubrious surroundings of the Fiera del Levante pavilion near the airport on the other side of Bari, hoping to get a peek of the summit location over the next few days. For the lucky few who have been selected as pool reporters and photographers, it’s a mere five-hour round trip to get from the media center to the summit venue. ON THE MENU THE GUEST LIST: U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pope Francis, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Argentinian President Javier Milei, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, King Abdullah II of Jordan, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, World Bank President Ajay Banga. G7-plus-plus? Let’s just say the concept of the “G7” has been pushed to its limits by Meloni, who insisted on extending invitations to as many world leaders as possible. Italy has of course faced mutterings for years about its own suitability for the G7 club given the state of its economy and reputation as the “sick man of Europe” thanks to its record-breaking debt levels. Meloni wanted to be as “inclusive” as possible, according to officials, but some delegations have been quietly complaining that it will lead to less interaction and genuine conversation around the table. RISHI WATCH: Will Sunak stick around for the entirety of the G7 meeting? That question will loom over every photo-op in the next few days following the British PM’s extraordinary decision to high-tail it back to Blighty early from D-Day commemorations in Normandy last week — infuriating the British public (who weren't going to vote for him anyway) ahead of next month’s U.K. election. SILVIO'S GHOST: Meloni could have a rival for media coverage over the coming days — and it's coming from beyond the grave. TVs across Bari featured wall-to-wall coverage of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi a year on from his death. The bunga-bunga-loving politician hosted a few summits in his time — including the G8 summit in L'Aquila, which took place at the height of his scandal-ridden career. THE QUEEN G MELONI ON TOP: The Italian prime minister will no doubt be basking in a post-election glow as she hosts the G7 meeting — in contrast to most of her guests. Her Brothers of Italy party topped the polls in the weekend's European election, and she's being courted by both EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, as they eye possible tie-ups. The contrast couldn’t be greater with the other leaders who'll line up for the traditional family photo today. ROLL CALL ... — Rishi Sunak is fighting what looks increasingly like a doomed reelection campaign, and is 23 points behind in the race. — Olaf Scholz was humiliated by the far-right AfD in the EU election and cemented his status as one of the most unpopular German leaders in history. As Matt Karnitschnig writes, the question now is how long his government can survive. — Emmanuel Macron's party performed so poorly in the EU election, he called a snap French ballot. But his brand is so toxic, even his top allies are ditching him on the campaign trail, as POLITICO's Paris team reports. — Joe Biden's son Hunter was found guilty of gun charges barely two weeks before his first crucial election debate against Donald Trump. — Justin Trudeau says he thinks daily about quitting his "crazy" job. — Fumio Kishida is enduring his lowest personal ratings ahead of a leadership contest expected later this year. All of which makes this G7 the weakest gathering of leaders the group has mustered for years — with some of the toughest problems to solve, writes POLITICO's Hannah Brenton and a crack global team of reporters in this curtain-raiser ahead of the summit. RACE FOR THE EU'S TOP JOBS AND THEY'RE OFF: The starting gun has been fired on the post-EU election race to determine who will lead the bloc's top institutions over the next five years. Following a strong showing by her center-right European People’s Party (EPP), Ursula von der Leyen is confident of a second stint as the EU Commission boss. But before the job is officially hers, she'll need to lock down the numbers at the European Council, which represents the 27 EU member countries — and in the EU Parliament, where she will need to secure the votes of at least 361 out of the 720 MEPs. LATEST MANEUVERING: As our Brussels team reports, the EU top-job parlor game appears to be moving at a quicker pace than expected, with von der Leyen touted as a shoo-in, particularly as France is coming round to backing her. Watch out for ... more Charles Michel vs. Ursula von der Leyen tensions over the next few days. (Remember Sofagate? Turkey's Erdoğan no doubt does, and ought to steer clear of any more diplomatic incidents involving the outgoing Council president and the Commission chief in Italy.) Dinnergate: As POLITICO's Barbara Moens and Jacopo Barigazzi reported, in the latest sign of the dysfunctional relationship at the very top of the EU, Michel sought to ban von der Leyen from a June 17 dinner with EU leaders where a key top job discussion would be held. That didn't go over well with capitals, who insisted von der Leyen be invited. WHITE HOUSE VIEW: Over in Washington, von der Leyen’s reappointment appears like a done deal. “We look forward to continuing our great relationship with President von der Leyen,” White House spokesman John Kirby declared confidently before Biden’s departure for Italy. The Biden administration believes her reappointment will “be the likely outcome,” he reaffirmed. DARK HORSE: In the race to succeed Michel as the European Council president, one person seems to be sailing through to a nomination: António Costa. That's despite the small matter of the former Portuguese prime minister being questioned by police in a corruption scandal. Should Costa secure the job, it would be a big win for Portugal — though as my colleague Aitor Hernández-Morales reports, he might not be out of the woods yet. Lisbon rules: Despite keeping a low profile in Brussels, Portugal has managed to secure a raft of international roles in recent years: a two-time president of the European Commission (José Manuel Barroso) ... U.N. secretary-general (António Guterres) and Eurogroup president (Mário Centeno). Seems the Central and Eastern European countries who complain about being underrepresented when top jobs are divvied up have a point. MESSAGE TO RUSSIA (AND CHINA) MAKING KYIV'S CASE: Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives in Puglia today, having spent the past few weeks dashing around the world drumming up support for Ukraine. (Last seen: meeting MBS in Saudi Arabia.) Zelenskyy will join leaders for a session on Ukraine this afternoon, before the G7 hold their own meeting. The United States will also announce a bilateral security pact with Kyiv, in a boost to Ukraine. More sanctions: The U.S. announced a fresh round of sanctions Wednesday over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting not just Moscow but also Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and particularly China amid alarm about Beijing’s export of dual-use goods to Russia. Making Russia pay: But the real focus over the next few days will be on the plan to issue a loan to Ukraine, to be repaid with the interest generated by immobilized Russian assets that have been frozen (mostly in Europe) since 2022. State of play: Europe isn't keen on the idea, which is being championed by the United States. But all sides stress the importance of having a G7-wide plan, with some form of syndicated loan, rather than separate loans, being considered. Problem 1: Who’s on the hook if the war ends and the assets are no longer immobilized, killing off the source of the interest repayments? Problem 2: How would the money be channelled to Ukraine? Among the ideas being discussed is a plan to issue the loan through the World Bank. ALSO ON THE G7 AGENDA MIDDLE EAST: The Israel-Hamas war will also be front and center, with Biden due to update counterparts on his plan for a cease-fire as his Secretary of State Antony Blinken wraps up his latest round of shuttle diplomacy in the region. G7 leaders issued a statement on the plan earlier this month — an indication of the role the group of seven industrialized nations is playing as the global community tries to bring an end to the eight-month war. AFRICA: The African continent has been an important focus for Italy during its stint at the helm of the G7. Stability in the region is crucial to Rome's interests: Italy has been at the front line of Europe’s migration crisis for years. Meloni and the EU stand accused of essentially paying off African dictatorships to stop migrants leaving for Europe. Expect lots of talk about cooperation — but little concrete action — from this morning’s opening session. AGENDA — 10:30 a.m. Arrival of the heads of state and government at Borgo Egnazia, followed by family photo — 11:15 a.m. Session I: Africa, climate change and development — 12:45 p.m. Session 2: Middle East — 2:15 pm. Ukraine — 5 p.m. Side event on the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment — 6:05 p.m. Flag ceremony at Borgo Egnazia Golf Club — 8:30 p.m. Official dinner at the Swabian Castle of Brindisi THANKS: Global Playbook couldn’t happen without Global Playbook editor Zoya Sheftalovich. | 
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