Malta will be freezing Russia’s pending request to deploy new diplomatic officials in our country, Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg said on Monday.

He was speaking during the Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Luxembourg to primarily discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. 

Borg reiterated Malta’s call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire to guarantee safe evacuation corridors and allow the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid.

He added that Malta would continue to support efforts undertaken at an EU and international level to address the immediate needs of Ukraine and Ukrainian citizens, which will need to be sustained as the conflict continues to take its toll.

Minister Borg underlined that the UN Charter, international law, and other relevant international agreements need to be upheld. He also emphasised the importance of EU unity as an essential element of the EU’s approach in pursuing all efforts to stop the war in Ukraine. 

While noting other EU member states’ measures on the expulsion of Russian diplomats, Borg explained Malta’s constraints in undertaking such a measure due to the limitations of its diplomatic presence in Russia. However, Malta at this stage will be freezing Russia’s pending request to deploy new diplomatic officials in our country.