Robert Abela said on Friday Malta will not invest in, or borrow money to buy weapons of war, after EU leaders rallied around Ukraine and agreed to boost the bloc's defences at a crisis summit.

The EU's 27 leaders on Thursday greenlit a plan drawn up by the European Commission that aims to mobilise €800 billion to "re-arm Europe" against the perceived threat from Russia.

The plan to increase defence spending was adopted unanimously, including by Malta, despite Abela earlier telling the media that more weapons would not end the war. 

However, on Friday the prime minister said that during the summit he made Malta's position clear: "Malta will not make use of this money to buy weapons and ammunition of destruction".

"Others can choose to invest in weapons. That is their decision, while we were given a guarantee that we can stay out of it. We will also not be responsible for the lending of that money," he said.

"Whoever chooses to invest in such, should pay for it themself. We will be investing in peace. And we will continue investing in people and offering our country to host peace discussions."

'Neutrality and peace at the heart of Malta's position'

In a statement earlier on Friday, the government said that, at the summit, Abela had stressed the need for the EU to ensure a future of peace, stability and security with full respect for Malta's neutrality. 

The Maltese prime minister told the summit that while Malta recognised the challenges linked to the EU's security, the way forward must prioritise dialogue and diplomacy.

"Guided by the principle of neutrality, our country does not believe that the solution to wars is weapons," the prime minister said, flagging the need to safeguard various aspects of security and defence including cyber security, hybrid threats and critical infrastructure security.

He insisted that decisions taken at EU level should be inclusive, so as not to exclude countries like Malta which did not want to invest in lethal weapons.

“We need to build a stronger and sovereign Europe - one that protects its security while remaining a force for peace. But we must do this responsibly, inclusively, and with full respect for our values and the realities of all member states.”