Russia comes under fire at UNSC meet
Russia on Tuesday rejected calls at the United Nations to accept responsibility for the downing of Flight MH17 over Ukraine after an investigation found that a Russian army missile was used in the attack.
At a Security Council meeting on Ukraine, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok called on Moscow to accept the findings that the airliner was shot down by a Russian-made BUK missile provided by a brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk.
"The language of ultimatums is not something that anyone will be allowed to use when speaking to Russia," Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council meeting.
"We cannot accept the unfounded conclusion of the JIT", the Dutch-led Joint investigation Team, he added.
All 298 people on the Malaysia Airlines flight en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were killed when the missile slammed into the plane as it flew over territory held by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine in July 2014.
Responding to Nebenzia, the Dutch foreign minister said his arguments were "nothing new" and again urged Russia to work with the Netherlands and Australia to identify the perpetrators.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley voiced strong support for the Dutch and Australian call on Russia to acknowledge its role in the tragedy and help bring to account those responsible for the shooting down.
"Despite its transparent denials, there is no doubt Russia is driving the Ukrainian conflict," said Haley.
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