UN General Assembly
2025

Thinking back and going back to President Reagan when he dared to call for the walls, physical and political, that were dividing Europe to be torn down, many had dismissed it as an impossible dream, unrealistic, never going to happen, but it did. The seemingly intractable Cold War came to an end. As global leaders we must equally never give up, never say peace can't be achieved, never give in to defeatism, even the most outwardly unresolvable of conflicts. Sadly, on Malta's doorsteps to such conflicts, wars are raging, Ukraine and Gaza. The world must not turn its back on either or tackle them with double standards as this would undermine our credibility and effectiveness. We must never wring our hands and consign any conflict too difficult to deal with. It is now three and a half years since Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Malta remains resolute now as it was then in demanding a lasting and just peace that guarantees Ukraine's sovereignty.