Dhe President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, described the sentencing of those responsible for shooting down the MH17 passenger plane a good eight years ago as “very important”. But only when their leadership in Russia is condemned for it will this be a secure basis for peace, he added in his video message on Thursday. He had previously made it clear on Twitter that he saw the Russian leadership as responsible. Impunity leads to further crimes, he added, alluding to the Russian war of aggression against his country that started at the end of February.
A Dutch court had previously sentenced two Russians and a Ukrainian to life imprisonment in absentia. They are said to have brought a Buk-type air defense system from Russia to eastern Ukraine and used it to shoot down the passenger plane with flight number MH17. All 298 on board the Boeing, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, perished in the July 2014 crash.
Moscow rejects verdict
As expected, Russia rejected the Dutch court’s guilty verdict in shooting down the passenger plane as politically motivated. “Both the course and the results of the negotiations show that it was based on the political mandate to strengthen the version (…) of Russia’s involvement in the tragedy,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website on Thursday.
The Russian leadership had previously rejected the process and always denied responsibility. “The trial in the Netherlands has every chance of going down as one of the most scandalous in history – with its long list of oddities, inconsistencies and questionable conclusions of the prosecution, which nevertheless flowed into the verdict,” the Foreign Ministry criticized once again.
Zelenskyj welcomes the extension of the grain deal
In his video message, Zelenskyj was also satisfied with the extension of the grain deal. “Despite all the difficulties, despite various manipulations by Russia, we will continue to export agricultural products through our Black Sea ports,” said the 44-year-old. The agreement, which is about to expire, was extended by 120 days on Thursday through the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations.
Zelenskyj emphasized the importance of Ukrainian grain exports for the food supply of poorer countries. Around 450 ships have left the Ukrainian Black Sea ports around Odessa since the start of the grain deal, which ended a months-long Russian sea blockade, bringing food to countries such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Somalia and Sudan.
Duda: Ukrainian investigators cannot be involved without further ado
According to Polish President Andrzej Duda, the participation of Ukrainian specialists in the investigation into the rocket hit on Polish territory is bound by the regulations of international legal assistance. “If guests from Ukraine want to see the ongoing investigation, then it will be possible to show them, as I was shown today,” Duda said Thursday after visiting the site in the village of Przevodov.
“But when it comes to actively participating in investigations, access to documents, to information, then specific contractual bases are required in terms of international law and international agreements.” Zelenskyj had previously said that experts from his country were allowed to participate in the investigation. The corresponding confirmation came from Poland.
