Labour against Ukraine resolution ‘roping Malta in direct attack on Russia targets’

Labour MEPs have voted against a resolution that on Wednesday reconfirmed the European Parliament’s view that the EU support Ukraine for as long as it takes until victory against Russian aggression.

Nationalist MEPs David Casa and Peter Agius voted in favour of the final resolution, but Agius told MaltaToday that both MEPs abstained on those clauses in the resolution that requested economic contributions from EU member states for the acquisition of armaments.

Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba said the resolution, which is non-binding, called for Malta to hive off 0.25% of its GDP for the acquisition of armaments to support Ukraine.

“Even worse, the same resolution requires that these armaments are used directly on Russian targets. In other words, this would implicate Malta and Europe in declaring war directly on Russia, as per international law,” Agius Saliba said.

Peter Agius said PN MEPs would keep abstaining on calls that require member states to secure minimum percentages of military investment. “I will not however vote against expressions of support to the people of Ukraine and condemning Putin’s madness. We are not populist and short-sighted like Alex Saliba who thinks that the Maltese people admire his radicalisms in European fora.”

Agius Saliba, Daniel Theuma, and Thomas Bajada were part of the only four MEPs from the Socialists & Democrats to vote against the resolution.

The resolution was voted adopted by 495 votes in favour, 137 against with 47 abstentions, backed totally by the EPP, the S&D, Renew liberals, the Greens, and the Left. The far-right Patriots (PFE), the conservative ECR, and AfD’s ESN, voted against.

Agius Saliba said he preferred being “in a minority to defend Malta’s neutrality than being popular at the expense of peace and security.”

“This is the European defence union that the Nationalists want for Malta. And then they take umbrage about having not voted for Roberta Metsola,” the MEP said about his refusal to vote against the re-election of Metsola as EP President.

The resolution calls on the EU provide military support to Ukraine in whatever form, and condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent visit to Moscow.

The resolution, which sets out the newly-elected European Parliament’s first official position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, restated the continued support of MEPs for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

While restating their firm conviction that Russia must compensate financially for the destruction it has caused in Ukraine, MEPs welcomed recent EU efforts to direct revenues coming from frozen Russian assets to support the Ukrainian war effort.

They also want a “sound legal regime for the confiscation of Russian state-owned assets frozen by the EU”.

MEPs called on the EU and member states to increase their military support for Ukraine for as long as necessary and in whatever form necessary.

They also called on the European Commission to propose long-term financial assistance for the reconstruction of Ukraine, building on the experience of the newly established Ukraine Facility.

Orbán in “blatant violation of EU treaties”

The European Parliament condemned Russia’s barbaric missile attack on the Okhmadyt children’s hospital in Kiev, and the recent visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the Russian Federation, calling it a blatant violation of the EU’s treaties and common foreign policy.

The text states that Hungary should face repercussions for these actions. Given the Hungarian Prime Minister’s so-called “peace mission” was immediately followed by the children’s hospital attack, the resolution also said this shows the “irrelevance” of Orbán’s alleged peace efforts.