Russia Declares Malta A ‘Hostile Nation’ Along With Several Other Countries
Russia has included Malta on a long list of countries it considers as “hostile” nations.
The list includes all EU member states, along with the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, Japan, Ukraine and Taiwan (China).
It was drafted as part of a decree establishing temporary procedures for Russian citizens and businesses for fulfilling obligations to certain foreign creditors. Russians will now be able to repay debts to foreign creditors from the “hostile” list in rubles, at the daily exchange set by the central bank.
The ruble has crashed to historic lows in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24th February, which prompted far-reaching sanctions by several nations.
Malta is participating in the EU’s Russia-sanctioning process but has warned that turning Russia into a ‘pariah state’ could be counter-productive as it risks isolating and weakening a section of Russian civil society that strongly disagrees with the invasion.
Cover photo: Left: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Kremlin), Right: Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela
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