What happened in the last days, just a few kilometres outside of Maltese territorial waters, sent shockwaves across the country and raised some very pertinent questions as to what it meant to be a non-aligned nation in 2025.

The matter of the attacked flotilla boat, on its way to Gaza to reportedly supply humanitarian aid, allegedly by Israeli forces, is a delicate one, and the last thing I wish to do in this article is attempt to score easy political points on a subject which is way more complex and multifaceted that could ever be dealt with in these few paragraphs.

What I wish to address is the need for an open and genuine discussion on Malta's situation in terms of defence, especially in the context of the recent debate at an EU level, but also within Malta's constitutional neutrality positioning.

When Malta opted to take a position of non-alignment, it was not out of lack of options, or cowardice. It was the height of the Cold War, when the world was split, arguably quite similarly to what we have seen reemerging now, between the West and East. Two superblocks which were hellbent on deterring each other from entering a world-scale conflict that would certainly end up badly for everyone. They operated a philosophy frequently referred to as Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), which meant that having two superpowers who are equally militarily prepared, meant that neither would pull the trigger, since it would surely guarantee the destruction of both.

While the aptly nicknamed MAD philosophy did keep the world safe for a while, it was through political will, and timely mediation, which culminated in the Bush-Gorbachev Summit of 1989 in Malta that the high-tension situation was defused.

Fast forward to 2025, and the international landscape appears to have sadly turned its back on peace once again. The genocide taking place in Gaza, the full blown out war in Ukraine, and increasingly hostile vocabulary on the part of those who should know better, has shifted the balance. What is different today though, is that now there are multiple players at play, and those who we considered friendly up till recently, are reconsidering their alliances worldwide.

That is why, in this increasingly volatile situation, it is imperative that the European Union steps up to take on its own defence responsibilities. What was built as a bloc of political cooperation, based on peace, built on the ashes of the Second World War, was always meant to be a force for good, and the betterment of people's lives. The European project has succeeded overwhelmingly, but it would be shortsighted, naïve even, to think that we are surrounded by our same philosophy and love for life.

We ought to all pull at the same rope - including our Prime Minister and PL MEPs, and understand that believing in these ideals goes beyond speeches. It is time to move to action too.

The writing is on the wall, the declarations are being made, and the episodes of hostilities are getting closer. While remaining completely neutral and non-aligned militarily, we must not be naïve. We must do all in our power to be in the best position possible to defend our values.

Dr Darren Carabott is the Opposition's Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, Security and Reforms, and President of the Public Accounts Committee