Putin insists Russia will oppose international tribunal for downing of

In a speech to the UN Security Council, Koenders said it is incomprehensible that a member of the council would stand in the way of justice.

“In a world with an increasing number of violent terrorist groups and other non-state actors…it is inconceivable that the Security Council would now walk away from holding to account those who brought down a commercial airplane”, she said. ‘The Netherlands will not rest until all the facts are known and justice has had its day.’.

It crashed in Ukrainian territory held by Russian-backed separatists.

“The vote only compounds the atrocity”. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the council after the vote that such a tribunal risked not being impartial and being subject to media “propaganda”, and he called past tribunals for the Rwanda genocide and the violence in the former Yugoslavia “expensive”. “They will not be allowed to evade justice”.

“The exercise of the veto today is an affront to the memory of the 298 victims of MH17 and their family and friends”.

She said Australia and other members of the joint investigation team would decide on “alternative prosecution mechanism to ensure that truth does prevail and those responsible for this unspeakable act will be brought to justice”.

“The truth will set you free”, Mr Klimkin added.

Moscow has said that it wants to wait for the completion of an ongoing Dutch-led worldwide investigation into the air disaster.

According to Putin, Russian Federation is ready for close cooperation on elucidating this tragedy’s causes and circumstances.

It was the only nation at the 15-member UN Security Council to oppose the move, triggering widespread condemnation.

A total of 298 people, including 39 Australian residents, died when MH17 was shot out of the sky.

“Russia has callously disregarded the public outcry in the grieving nations”, said Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN.

Ukraine and Western countries accuse the rebels in eastern Ukraine of shooting down the plane with a Russian-made missile.

Rutte’s office said he telephoned Putin ahead of the vote in New York to seek his backing for setting up an global tribunal to try the as-yet unidentified suspects behind the downing of the Malaysia Airlines jet that killed 298 people in July of previous year.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte spoke to President Vladimir Putin addressing Russia’s concern on the outcome of any criminal tribunal probing into the shooting down of MAS flight MH17.