Watch: Robert Abela: ‘I Condemn Russia But Not The USA’
Prime Minister Robert Abela reaffirmed Malta’s stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but cautioned that condemning the United States for suspending military aid to Ukraine would be a mistake.
“I am being equidistant,” Abela told journalists in Brussels. “We understand Ukraine’s realities but at the same time we’re not condemning in any way positions that other countries might have taken.”
“I’m not talking about Russia and I naturally condemn its unfair aggression. However, we cannot take a hard stance against the US.”
“I don’t think the EU can fight this war on its own unless it were to sacrifice enormous funding gaps that must be filled by slashing budgets from more important sectors. It is crucial to have synergy with the US and realise we cant do it alone.”
“There could be diverging positions within the EU about what I’m talking about, but it’s crucial for the US to form part of an eventual deal and I believe this is the solution and the way forward.”
Abela also pledged that Malta won’t be involved in any attempts to invest further in weapons and warned the EU against going down this route.
“I don’t believe that investing in more weapons, war tanks and ammunition can lead to a resolution of the war between Ukraine and Russia,” he said.
“I believe the only solution is one of peace. We understand that Ukraine was the victim of unfair Russian aggression, and Malta has helped the people of Ukraine within the limits of our Constitution.”
“However, I cannot agree with this line of thought which seems to be gathering steam that we must continue investing in more and more weapons to bring this conflict to an end. On the contrary, I believe that more weapons will hinder our attempts to end the war.”
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