The evidence suggests that pro-Russian separatists were responsible for the crash of flight MH17, but I am sure we will learn more details this afternoon.
The Prime Minister spoke to President Putin this weekend and made it clear that the shooting down of MH17 was totally unacceptable. The evidence suggested that pro-Russian separatists were responsible. If this is the case then we must be clear what it means: this is a direct result of Russia destabilising a sovereign state, violating its territorial integrity, backing thuggish militias and training and arming them.
If President Vladimir Putin stops the support to the fighters in eastern Ukraine and allows the Ukrainian authorities to restore order, this crisis can be brought to an end. Of course there must be proper protections for Russian-speaking minorities and these issues can be addressed. But the overriding need is for Russia to cease its support for violent separatists.
Our priority is to get experts to the crash site so they can recover and repatriate the victims and collect any evidence necessary for the investigation. We must turn this moment of outrage into a moment of action, where we try and find those who committed this crime and bring them to justice.
