Watch: Roberta Metsola Gives Volodymyr Zelenskyy A Brief Maltese War History Lesson
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a brief history lesson about the courage shown by the people of Malta during the Second World War, courtesy of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
As she addressed Zelenskyy in Brussels and urged EU countries to ramp up their military aid to Ukraine, Metsola drew comparisons with the struggles Malta faced some 83 years ago.
“I grew up hearing my grandparents’ stories of my country’s last three fighter planes. When all seemed lost, when they had no ammunition, no food and no hope, all that remained were three barely functioning planes that they called Faith, Hope and Charity – named after what they were fighting for, after what was at stake,” Metsola said.
“The planes meant one more day of liberty, just long enough for help to arrive. They meant peace.”
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“You do not need to convince anyone here of how essential it is to support Ukraine. To back all those giving their lives. To support the values we preach with concrete measures. To ensure victory, real peace – based on your 10-point plan, accountability for those who committed war crimes and for the protection of freedom for all Ukrainians.”
“And I want to repeat the promise I made to you when we met in Kyiv last April: we have your back. We were with you then, we are with you now, we will be with you for as long as it takes. Freedom will prevail. Peace will reign. You will win.”
Zelenskyy had drawn similar parallels when he addressed Malta’s Parliament in 2022.
“The resilience of your people and their resistance in many ways defined the future of the Mediterranean,” Zelenskyy said back then. “Malta withstood the severe siege and bombardment and together with the Allies managed to protect itself, and played a role in liberating Europe. Today’s events remind me of your story.”
While Zelenskyy received a standing ovation at the European Parliament, Metsola’s call for EU member states to provide Ukraine with fighter jets and long-range missiles received some skepticism in Malta.
PL MEP Alex Agius Saliba warned that the EP has “forgotten about the concept of peace” and said he doesn’t want Malta to ever “fight someone else’s war”.
Should EU countries provide Ukraine with more military assistance?
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