Relatives of the MH17 crash victims insist that Russia's recognition of responsibility for the downing of the plane should be part of a possible peace deal on ending Moscow's all-out war against Ukraine, European Pravda reported on Feb. 26, citing obtained copies of letters.
The letters were sent to U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earlier this month, according to the media outlet.
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
All 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board, among them 196 Dutch citizens, were killed.
Russia never claimed responsibility for the disaster, instead fanning conspiracy theories to shift the blame elsewhere.
The District Court of The Hague in November 2022 sentenced in absentia two Russian nationals and one Ukrainian national to life imprisonment for their involvement in the downing of flight MH17. A fourth defendant, also a Russian national, was acquitted on the grounds of insufficient evidence connecting him to the crime.
Relatives of the victims have long urged Russia to admit its responsibility and investigate all those involved and the causes of the downing. Now, they want their demands to be included in any potential peace pact.
According to the relatives, a credible agreement is difficult without Russia recognizing its responsibility for the downing.
"Without this (Russia's recognition of the downing of MH17), there can be no lasting peace with Russia," the letter read.
Copies of the letters were also reportedly sent to Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.
Elsa Court
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