Malta is part of EU mission to train and supply Ukrainian troops, Prime Minister confirms

Updated at 8:31pm with AFM reaction

Malta is taking part in an EU mission aimed to train and supply Ukrainian troops to fight Russia, Prime Minister Robert Abela has confirmed.

This emerged in parliament on Monday during a heated sitting that included a ministerial statement by Robert Abela on the last European Council in Brussels. During the discussion, Nationalist MP Darren Carabott asked Abela to confirm whether Malta is taking part in the EU mission.

The EU Military Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM) aims to provide “substantial political, military, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine.” This, the EU states, includes “unprecedented aid and assistance to Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

In a reluctant response to Carabott’s question, Abela read out an explanation sent to him on his phone by the Home Affairs Minister regarding Malta’s role in the mission. Abela said that Malta has an AFM member who acts as “a liaison officer between the UK, that is running the training, and the EU. Basically it is an administrative job. We are not involved in training.”

Abela did not say when Malta started taking part in the mission. This was the first time that the government has confirmed such participation.

Despite Malta being part of the EU mission, which is intended to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, Abela has stated more than once that “Ukraine cannot win this war.” Even on Monday he stated that “we have to be realistic and pragmatic”, echoing the rhetoric of the Trump administration in the US.

“Idealism is idealism and realism is realism,” Abela said while referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

News of the mission is also significant given Abela’s position against increased defence spending. Earlier this month, Abela said that he does not “believe that investment in weapons, in tanks, in ammunition, can result in an end to the war”, adding that “there is only one lasting solution, and that is peace.”

Despite this, he voted in favour of an initiative which aims to inject new cash into rearming the continent and bolster the bloc’s collective defence. Abela also supported the Council conclusions that reiterated support for Ukraine, including through the supply of weapons. This latter declaration was not endorsed by Hungary.

In a statement on Facebook after the debate, Carabott said the Nationalist Party agrees with improved defence and security spending for Malta and Europe but called out government's lack of consistency on the matter.

Carabott said it was "incredible" that Abela was forced to admit Malta's participation in an EU mission to train thousands of Ukrainian soldiers.

"Today, he [Abela] lost the argument on weapons and training," Carabott said. "It appears the government agrees with our position but it keeps hiding it."

The government has been repeatedly accused by the Opposition of saying one thing in Malta and doing something different in Brussels.

AFM clarifies it has no soldiers in Ukraine

Later on Monday, the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) clarified that there are no Maltese soldiers training Ukrainian troops.

The AFM noted that its official is stationed in the UK and is only tasked with facilitating communication between the UK and EU.

It was noted that it was a conscious decision not to send Maltese troops to Ukraine, and that this aid respects Malta's neutrality.