STATEMENT ON THE DOWNING OF MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 17
July 18, 2014
TORONTO, KYIV - The ICSU condemns the horrific terrorist attack on Malaysian Airlines’ flight MH17 and the resulting murder of 298 innocent passengers and crew. We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
The incriminating evidence points to Russia as the state sponsor of this terrorist act since Russia alone supplied and operated the BUK SA 11 missile battery along with radar and logistical support by the Russian military used to shooting the civilian airliner by its sponsored terrorists in Eastern Ukraine. International social media monitors noted that the terrorists themselves took credit for the attack on their Twitter account and Ukrainian Intelligence Services revealed a taped intercepted conversation between the separatist terrorists and their military advisors in Moscow admitting to the destruction of the Malaysian Airways’ flight.
Regrettably, this attack may have been avoided if the member countries of NATO, individually and collectively, had confronted Russia with meaningful policies and actions. For over three months the West has vacillated in providing meaningful support for the Ukrainian government and its armed forces to resist and repel the Russian invasion.
We welcome the announcement by President Obama of sectoral sanctions against Russia and of revising regulations for supplying US liquefied natural gas and crude oil to its European allies. We also welcome the decision by the US Congress to grant Major Non NATO Ally status to Ukraine and other countries in the region. However more decisive steps must now be taken to strengthen Ukraine’s military capacity to defend itself, since the crisis in Ukraine is now escalating in ways that no one imagined and Russia will likely precipitate a more aggressive campaign in the separatist enclaves.
We call on France to cancel its delivery of the Mistral ships to the Russian navy, the United Kingdom to stop shielding Russia from financial sanctions and Germany to take tangible steps to lessen its dependence on Gasprom. We call on the EU to also impose sectoral sanctions on Russia. We call upon NATO members to provide lethal defensive weaponry and supplies to the Ukrainian army that is fighting the Russian terrorist invaders who are now targeting global civil aviation.
This terrorist attack is a wake-up call to the governments of the free world to stand with Ukraine and to compel Putin to stand down. Peace will be restored and the spread of Russian terrorism will be stopped only when Russia accepts the expressed will of the Ukrainian nation and its democratically elected government to live on its sovereign and independent territory free of Russian domination. Ukraine will not be deterred in defending its independence and territorial integrity. It will not be deterred in joining Euro Atlantic structures to become a full and equal member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Russia will stand down only when there is meaningful push back.
