Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543413
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 FEBRUARY 2026 prosecution objected, citing the seri- ANALYSIS Malta's neutrality tested: Five Four years on, the war in Ukraine has raised difficult questions for Malta's foreign policy, which is rooted THE human cost of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been immense. Independent research esti- mates that nearly two million military personnel on both sides have been killed, wounded, or gone missing since February 2022. Civilian suffering has been severe as well: United Nations monitors have verified nearly 15,000 Ukrainian civilian deaths and over 40, 000 civilian injuries since the full-scale invasion, though the true toll is likely higher. Ukrainians are still subjected to dai- ly attacks on their civilian infrastruc- ture, including energy facilities. Over eight million Ukrainians have fled abroad and millions more are internally displaced, turning the conflict into one of the largest humanitarian crises in Eu- rope since World War II. These include approximately 2,460 people fleeing Ukraine who have been granted tempo- rary protection status in Malta. Yet despite growing weariness, Ukraine's sacrifice has not been in vain. Russia's early strategy, aimed at a swift overthrow of the Ukrainian gov- ernment, was thwarted by Volodymyr Zelenskyy's resilient leadership and the determination of Ukrainian forces and society, which have maintained Kyiv's sovereignty and frustrated Moscow's expectations of rapid capitulation. Yet, four years on, both sides are bogged down in a war of attrition as US pressure has shifted from full support for Ukraine to increased pressure on Kyiv to cede territory, amidst concern in European capitals that this will only serve to whet Putin's appetite for desta- bilizing the EU's eastern frontier. Russia still occupies roughly 19 % of internationally recognised Ukrainian territory, with largely stagnant front- lines despite counter-offensives. Beyond the immediate tragedy, the war has reshaped European security thinking, exposed the fragility of peace on the continent, and highlighted con- tradictions in global politics—from fractured alliances to transactional di- plomacy. For Malta, the conflict raises a deeper question: how can constitutional neutrality coexist with EU membership, amid an increasingly militarised securi- ty landscape? Five key lessons emerge from this crucible. 1. Neutrality does not mean sitting on the fence — neither does it rule out strong moral positions Malta's constitutional neutrality bars it from joining military alliances or host- ing foreign bases. Yet, from the first day of the invasion, it condemned Russia's aggression in the EU and United Na- tions forums and backed successive EU sanctions packages targeting Moscow's economy, banking, energy, and military supply lines. Malta also voted in favour of EU Coun- cil conclusions reaffirming support for Ukraine, including assistance that has encompassed political, financial (in- cluding aid that enables Ukraine to fund armaments indirectly), and non-lethal support — a principled stance consist- ent with neutrality as an active principle of universal values entrenched in inter- national law. However, the political narrative has at times been muddled. In March 2025, following the widely reported rebuke of Volodymyr Zelenskyy by Donald Trump during an Oval Office confron- tation, Prime Minister Robert Abela showed signs of dithering, questioning whether Ukraine could win the war and framing peace as requiring compro- mise. "Weapons won't stop the war," he said, adding that traditional military in- vestment risks escalating conflict rather than ending it. These statements — while grounded in Malta's long-standing focus on peace and diplomacy evaded two key realities: Ukraine would have lost the war had it not been assisted by the EU and the US and Russia remains unwilling to with- draw from territories it illegally usurped during the war. Nonetheless, Malta's formal voting re- cord remained firmly aligned with the EU's collective response, and the coun- Prime Minister Robert Abela meeting Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2023