Majority support European Union arming Ukraine

More people in Malta now support the EU funding weapons to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian attacks, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey. 
Conducted across all EU countries between March and April, the survey shows that support in Malta has risen to 51%, up from a historic low of 46% last autumn. 

The increase in support for arming Ukraine follows the fallout between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and newly elected US President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office in February. It also reflects the ambivalent stance of the Maltese Prime Minister, who voted with other member states on this issue while expressing doubts about Ukraine’s ability to win the war. 

The survey shows that the percentage of Maltese opposed to arming Ukraine dropped from 50% in autumn to 43% in spring, while 6% remained undecided. 

Maltese support for EU military assistance to Ukraine remains well below the 74% peak registered in spring 2022, in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. Support had dropped to 51% in autumn 2023 and declined further in spring and autumn 2024. However, the latest results indicate a reversal of the downward trend that had seen the Maltese grow increasingly sceptical of this key aspect of EU foreign policy. 

Across the EU as a whole, 59% support the EU policy of financing the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. Support is highest in Sweden (94%) and Finland (90%) and lowest in Cyprus (27%). 

A majority opposes military aid to Ukraine in only seven countries, while Italians are evenly split. Malta ranks eighteenth, alongside Romania and Spain. 

Support for economic sanctions against Russia (64%) and financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine (77%) remains high, in line with previous surveys. 

The survey also shows broad support in Malta (57%) for granting Ukraine candidate status as a potential EU member state, a 5-point increase since autumn. 

Support for Ukraine’s EU membership ranges from 83% in Portugal and Sweden to 31% in Czechia. Across the EU, 60% back accepting Ukraine as a candidate to join the bloc. 

Finally, the survey confirms growing Maltese support for a common EU defence and security policy, rising from 57% in autumn to 72% in spring. 

Support for EU military aid for Ukraine 

• Spring 2022: 74% 

• Autumn 2023: 51% 

• Spring 2024: 48% 

• Autumn 2024: 46% 

• Spring 2025: 51%