VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta will not invest in, or borrow money to buy weapons of war, after EU leaders reassured Ukraine the full support and agreed on an 800 billion euros package to boost the bloc’s defences at a crisis summit held in Brussels.
The plan presented by the European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen will increase the defence spending, and was adopted unanimously, including by Malta. This despite the Maltese PM Robert Abela telling the media that more weapons would not end the war.
An official statement by the Maltese government stated that at the summit, Prime Minister Robert Abela declared: “”Guided by the principle of neutrality, our country does not believe that the solution to wars is weapons,” flagging the need to safeguard various aspects of security and defence including cyber security, hybrid threats and critical infrastructure security.
Abela insisted that decisions taken at EU level should be inclusive, so as not to exclude countries like Malta which did not want to invest in lethal weapons. “We need to build a stronger and sovereign Europe – one that protects its security while remaining a force for peace. But we must do this responsibly, inclusively, and with full respect for our values and the realities of all member states”.
The Maltese prime minister told the EU summit that while Malta recognised the challenges linked to the EU’s security, the way forward must prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.
During the Thursday summit, Abela made Maltàs position clear: “Malta will not make use of this money to buy weapons and ammunition of destruction”. “Others can choose to invest in weapons. That is their decision, while we were given a guarantee that we can stay out of it. We will also not be responsible for the lending of that money,” he said. “Whoever chooses to invest in such, should pay for it themselves. We will be investing in peace. And we will continue investing in people and offering our country to host peace discussions”.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Opposition accused Robert Abela of changing his stance on the issue three times while making a U-turn on European defence when he voted in favour of increasing defence spending. “Abela has once again done what he is well known for – another U-turn, or rather a complete 360-degree turn, leaving Malta without direction”.
– Photo press office Prime Minister Robert Abela –
(ITALPRESS).
