German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday (18 July) said Russia must acknowledge its share of responsibility in the Ukraine plane disaster.
"It is important to have an international investigation as soon as possible. There are many indications that the plane was shot down, so we have to take things very seriously," Merkel said in Berlin during her traditional summer press conference.
A Malaysian Airlines passenger plane flying at high altitude from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed on Ukrainian territory on Thursday, killing all 298 people onboard. According to leaked tapes and the US intelligence service, the plane was shot down by a Russian-made missile.
Merkel called on Russia to "acknowledge its responsibility" for what is happening in Ukraine, especially since it allowed weapons and tanks to cross the border into Ukrainian territories controlled by the pro-Russian separatists.
She said she spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night and that they have "very diverging opinions" about the situation in Ukraine.
EU leaders on Wednesday agreed to widen the sanctions regime to allow companies to be blacklisted. Merkel said "we will continue on this path", especially after the plane crash.
"Those who shot the plane down must be brought to justice, that's why an international inquiry is needed. It's true that separatists are heavily armed and there is evidence that parts of this armament came from Russia.
Credit to Euobserver.com
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