A Russian national who lives in Malta has denounced the war initiated by President Vladimir Putin.

Mother-of-three Ekaterina Ivanova, who is married to a Maltese national, said there should be no war and that matters had to be resolved amicably.

“Only innocent people from both countries will suffer. Eighteen-year-old boys will go to fight and die but for what? Mothers will receive dead bodies of their children, their husbands, and children will be losing their fathers, both in Russia and in Ukraine. What is the point?” she told Times of Malta when contacted yesterday.

"Every war is a business, it’s all about money unfortunately.”

Ivanova said Putin was saying he was doing all he could to protect Donbass and that he had no intention to invade Ukraine.

Asked if she believed him, Ivanova replied: “Putin says he is not going to invade Ukraine, only protecting Donbass. Nobody agrees with war. All Russians don’t agree. I don’t believe any politician, being in Russia, Ukraine, UK, USA and Malta. Every war is a business, it’s all about money unfortunately.”

She said there were many Ukrainian people living in Malta who wanted to bring their relatives here but Ukraine was still considered as a dark red zone.

A Ukrainian woman married to a Maltese and who has Maltese citizenship is on a family holiday in another country and is trying to figure out what to do.

The woman, whose Ukrainian parents have joined the family holiday, originally planned to return to Ukraine next week but airports there are now closed.

While the woman and her family can come to Malta, her parents would not be able to join them here because Ukraine is on the coronavirus Dark Red list of countries.

“I will not leave my parents,” the woman said.