The White House announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "to blame" for the downing of the Malaysian airliner over the war zone in Ukraine and reiterated that it is working with the EU and the G7 to impose new sanctions on Moscow.
"What we also know is that the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down by a missile that was fired from the ground. It was fired from the ground in an area under the control of the separatists and where the Ukrainians, in fact, did not use anti-aircraft weapons themselves at that time," he said. is White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
"That's why we concluded that Vladimir Putin and the Russians are to blame for this tragedy," he added.
US Vice President Joseph Biden spoke yesterday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the investigation into the accident, as well as the political dynamics in Ukraine, the White House said in a separate statement reported by Reuters.
"President Poroshenko pointed out that, despite the dissolution of the ruling coalition in the Ukrainian parliament, the government will continue working on key economic reforms," the White House announced.
"Poroshenko also informed Vice President Biden that Russia continued to supply the separatists with heavy weapons and equipment and that Ukrainian soldiers are increasingly being fired upon from the Russian side of the border," the White House said.
Biden also told Poroshenko that the US is working with the EU and the G7 to impose new sanctions on Russia for "extremely destabilizing and irresponsible actions in Ukraine."
Russia: Open Lies of America
The US bears part of the responsibility for the conflict in Ukraine because it supports the government in Kiev, and the US administration is increasingly guided by open lies, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims.
"The US continues to encourage Kiev to stifle the dissatisfaction of the Russian population in Ukraine by force. From this, it can be concluded that the administration of US President Barack Obama bears part of the responsibility for the internal conflict in Ukraine and its serious consequences," the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. Reuters reported.
The ministry states that, judging by the fierce campaign it organized against Russia, the American administration is increasingly guided by open lies in the implementation of foreign policy, reports Itar-Tass.
As an example of these lies, the Russian Ministry cites last night's statement by White House spokesman Josh Ernest, who stated that Putin was guilty of shooting down a Malaysian passenger plane over the zone in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian forces.
"No evidence is given or facts that could be considered are cited, which has now become Washington's practice," the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The bodies of the dead nine days at the site of the plane crash
Dutch and Australian forces are ready to go to the crash site in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists, where some of the bodies of the dead have been lying among the wreckage for nine days.
Nine days after the plane crash with 298 people on board, "there are bodies that haven't been taken," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Saturday.
On Friday, AFP journalists saw parts of a human body in fields of sunflowers, next to which are marks on sticks, as well as the remains of a burnt body.
"The fact that there are still remains of bodies there makes it more important than ever that an international mission go to that place," Abbott said.
Australia intends to send 200 people there, mostly police. Forty unarmed Dutch gendarmes arrived last night in Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, in civilian clothes, and are supposed to go to the crash site to help remove the bodies, media say.
The deployment of the international police mission has yet to be approved by the Ukrainian parliament, and an extraordinary session is scheduled for Thursday.
The world is heavily criticizing the pro-Russian rebels for their attitude and actions at the crash site. They indicated to the OSCE inspectors that they will not accept more than 35 foreigners at that place.
An international team of investigators from eight countries still has limited access to the site of the crash, which Kiev and the West blame on pro-Russian rebels.
The last of the 227 coffins are on their way to the Netherlands from Kharkiv, which is under the control of government forces in Kiev.
First victim identified
Forensic experts have identified the first of the 298 victims from the plane that crashed over Ukraine, the Dutch government announced.
"The first victim from flight MH17 has been identified," the Dutch Ministry of Justice announced, stating that he was a Dutchman and that his family and the mayor of the city where he lived had been informed.
The ministry, however, did not disclose the victim's identity, AFP reported.
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