VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta on Friday welcomed an EU agreement to jointly borrow funds for Ukraine, reaffirming its long-standing support for political and financial assistance that fully complies with international law, EU principles and the country’s constitutional neutrality.
Prime Minister Robert Abela outlined Malta’s position during a European Council meeting in Brussels, where EU leaders agreed on a joint borrowing instrument to finance Ukraine’s needs over the next two years, providing predictability and financial stability.
Throughout negotiations, Abela stressed that any Maltese contribution must respect neutrality enshrined in the Constitution, a stance formally recognised in the summit’s adopted conclusions.
In a statement after the meeting, the government said Malta remained in favour of support for Ukraine “through instruments that conform to international and EU law,” quoting Abela as saying the agreement respected the principles Malta had consistently underscored.
Malta had opposed proposals to use seized Russian assets to guarantee a reparations loan, under which it could have been exposed to guarantees of about €170 million. Along with other member states, it urged further examination of alternative approaches compliant with EU and international law.
EU leaders, after overnight talks, failed to agree on using Russian assets to back a €90 billion reparations loan, instead settling on joint EU debt to fund Ukraine. The loan will be interest-free, with repayment envisaged from any future reparations paid by Russia.
Leaders also discussed the Middle East, with Abela warning that the situation remains highly fragile and calling on the EU to use its diplomatic weight to ensure agreed peace measures are implemented without delay.
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(ITALPRESS).
