Prime Minister Robert Abela participates in Informal Meeting of the European Council in Brussels

The need for prudence, caution and support for efforts towards peace and de-escalation were among the main messages addressed by Prime Minister Robert Abela to the rest of the European Leaders during the informal meeting of the European Council held in Brussels on 22 January 2026.

At this meeting, which was convened by the President of the European Council Antonio Costa against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, Prime Minister Robert Abela expressed Malta’s concern about the escalation and the tone that characterised the discussion related to Greenland. He reiterated Malta’s full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland, and stressed that any decision on Greenland should be taken solely by Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

While welcoming the developments that have taken place over the past few days in this regard, the Prime Minister stressed that in this sensitive phase there is a need for communication to be considered and every step and action to be taken with caution. He warned against any step that could escalate tensions or put unnecessary geopolitical pressure on smaller states.

“Although the latest developments are positive, this is certainly not a closed issue. On the contrary, I believe that the coming weeks will be more sensitive, and this means that we must be very careful in our words, careful in our actions and that we consistently understand that we are looking at a geopolitical situation that the world has not seen in the last decades. That is, collectively as a European Union we have a responsibility and we must be very careful in everything we do, and we must act with maturity and responsibility so as not to do anything that could escalate tensions or put ourselves under pressure,” said the Prime Minister after the Summit.

The discussions during the summit also addressed the situation in the Middle East and the efforts towards a ceasefire in Gaza. The Prime Minister renewed Malta’s support for any initiative that advances peace and dialogue. In this context, Dr Abela referred to the discussions on the Peace Board that was initiated by the United States and stressed that such mechanisms should be used to unite and not to divide. He reiterated that there must be pragmatism and constructive discussion on any effort that moves us towards the ultimate goal of peace.

“My intervention was that we should look at this board not necessarily so that the European Union and all member states join it immediately, but we should see it as an opportunity, and instead of it being a point of divergence we should see to it that we use it as a point of convergence,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister concluded by reiterating Malta’s consistent commitment to dialogue, caution and respect for international law as the only path towards sustainable peace.