Maltese still stand behind Ukraine

Two-thirds of the Maltese believe that the European Union should continue to show solidarity with Ukraine, a Eurobarometer survey on EU challenges and priorities shows.

But  while support for economic sanctions against Russia remains high, support for financing the supply of weapons to Ukraine has dropped from 74% in April  2022 to 51% in August 2023.

In what could be a sign of weariness amidst rising inflation and a decreased media spotlight on atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine, the Maltese like other Europeans are  becoming less enthusiastic in their support for the purchasing weapons delivered to Ukraine.

In fact, support for EU military assistance to Ukraine has fallen to all time low of 51% down from 74% in May 2022.  On the other hand, 42% of Maltese oppose EU financing for the purchase of military equipment by Ukraine.

In contrast only 12% of Finnish respondents oppose military assistance to Ukraine. Opposition to military assistance to Ukraine is particularly high in Greece (55%) and Cyprus (65%).

Yet despite signs of weariness with war, there is little sympathy for Putin’s criminal regime.  In fact, only 16% of Maltese disagreed with holding the Russian government accountable for the situation in Ukraine.  84% of Maltese squarely hold Russia responsible for what is happening in Ukraine.  This percentage is even higher than in the EU as a whole (77%).

When asked whether the EU should continue showing solidarity with Ukraine, 26% of Maltese disagreed with continuing support for the brutalised nation which has been on the receiving end of daily Russian bombardments since February 2022.  This was 4 points higher than the percentage of respondents in all member states (22%)

The survey found that the highest percentage of respondents opposing more solidarity with Ukraine was in Cyprus (47%),Greece (45%), Bulgaria (44%) , Slovakia (41%), and Hungary (38%).

Opposition to solidarity with Ukraine was lowest in Portugal (8%), Estonia (9%), Finland (10%) and Sweden (11%).

68% of the Maltese also agree with greater military cooperation between EU member states in the wake of the Russian invasion.   But this represents a 7-point drop-in support for increased military cooperation between member states since May 2022.

Support for military cooperation between member states  is  slightly lower than that registered in neutral Ireland where 71% support increased military cooperation.  In Finland and Sweden, two formerly neutral countries which are in the process of  joining NATO support for enhanced cooperation surpasses the 80% mark.

The survey shows overwhelming support in Europe with retaining sanctions against Russia to punish it for invading Ukraine.

But at 65% support the continuation of these sanctions in Malta is 6 points lower than that in among respondents in all EU member states.

In contrast 28% of Maltese respondents oppose the sanction regime on Russia, 4 points more than in the EU as a whole.  Opposition to sanctions is lowest in Finland where only 8% oppose sanctions on the Putin regime.

The majority of Maltese (62%) also support Ukraine’s EU membership bid.