Ukraine wants to join Netherlands', Australia's proceeding against Russia over MH17 crash - Poroshenko
MOSCOW. May 25 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he has instructed the Foreign Ministry to propose Kyiv's involvement in the proceeding against Russia initiated by the Netherlands and Australia over the MH17 crash in Donbas in 2014.
"The decision of the Netherlands and Australia to initiate an inter-state proceeding against Russia for downing Malaysia Airlines' Flight MH17 on July 17, 2014 is an extremely important step toward holding Russia accountable for systematically violating its international obligations," Poroshenko wrote on Facebook on Friday.
This would be a logical follow-up to the legal action brought by Ukraine in the UN International Court of Justice over the violation of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, he wrote.
"I have ordered the Foreign Ministry to immediately submit proposals on the possibility of getting involved in the process initiated by the Netherlands and Australia," Poroshenko wrote.
Western media reported on Friday, citing a statement given by the Australian authorities, that Australia and the Netherlands blame Russia for the crash.