Lifeline standoff: Migrants face another night at sea as horse-trading among EU leaders continues

Migrants on board the rescue vessel MV Lifeline face the prospect of another night as sea as Malta waits for other European partners to show solidarity.

French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking from the Vatican on Tuesday afternoon, confirmed his country’s willingness to take in a share of the migrants.

The declaration follows a public pledge made by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte earlier in the day.

Malta has accepted to take in the ship on the condition that the rescued migrants are shared among the EU member states.

READ MORE: Lifeline standoff: No green light from Malta as two EU member states yet to agree to take migrants

Efforts to find a solution are being led by Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who was commended by Macron for taking the lead in finding a European solution.

Macron said Muscat’s efforts represented European solidarity at work. The French President said he would be leaving any declarations about the Lifeline case to the Maltese Prime Minister.

The French President insisted that Europe was caught in a political crisis pitting the "progressives who want real European solidarity against the nationalists".

Sources who spoke to MaltaToday said that Muscat had received a pledge from another EU member state apart from France and Italy, and was awaiting answers from another four countries.