Putin Rejects ICAO MH17 Blame, Calls for Unbiased Probe

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, on Wednesday criticized the finding by the UN aviation agency that Moscow was responsible for the 2014 Malaysian airliner crash in Ukraine and urged a complete and unbiased probe.

He talked with Ibrahim in Moscow and told him the probe should be extensive and not affected by any outside pressure. According to Ibrahim, the Kremlin said it was ready to work with impartial organizations.

According to the Montreal-based ICAO, its findings this week blame Russia for the 2014 crash of a Malaysia Airlines plane that killed all 298 on board.

The agency said that the claims brought by the Netherlands and Australia, nations with the most fatalities in the tragedy, were "well-founded in fact and law". In a statement on Monday, it said, "The Russian Federation failed to uphold its obligations under international air law in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17."

In response to the UN agency’s finding, Russia said the Ukrainian government in Kyiv was the 'main guilty party' because it was waging war against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine back then. The Malaysian PM also pointed out that Putin dismissed accusations that Russia was not cooperating, and said Russia wanted a better, more reliable investigation.

Anwar told reporters in Moscow that in the backdrop of the ICAO council's ruling, it was a “timely opportunity to seek clarification” from the Russian government. “Malaysia continues to pursue truth and justice through an independent and fair process, with the cooperation of all relevant parties,” he said. The Malaysian PM further said that his country remains dedicated to "ensuring accountability and a just resolution for the victims and their families who continue to bear the weight of this tragedy".

At the same time, Malaysian Airlines faced tough times after losing two planes in one year: MH17 in Ukraine and MH370 that went missing. Since the airlines’ share price went down, the company was eventually delisted from Kuala Lumpur’s stock market.