Leaders of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine have agreed to hand over the bodies of victims of the Malaysia Airlines crash, along with the plane's black boxes, and to allow international investigators access to the site, Malaysia's prime minister has announced.
Najib Razak said he had secured agreement from Alexander Borodai, the self-proclaimed prime minister of the "Donetsk People's Republic", after days of behind-the-scenes efforts to establish contact with those in control of the crash site.
His announcement came as David Cameron called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to end his support for separatists and warned Moscow it faced international isolation, including a "new range of hard-hitting economic sanctions" from the EU.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Mr Cameron said Russia was facing a "defining moment" and warned that Europe would fundamentally change its relations with its giant eastern neighbour if Mr Putin continued to foment violence and instability in Ukraine.
The United Nations Security Council was due to vote on a resolution tabled by the UK and Australia demanding "safe, full and unfettered access" to the crash site for international investigators and for the bodies of victims - many of which are being held in refrigerated train carriages - to be handled with respect and dignity.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond will tomorrow meet EU counterparts in Brussels at a meeting in which the UK hopes to accelerate the implementation of extended sanctions on specific Russian businesses, organisations and individuals, as well as discussing broader sanctions which could target wider sectors of the Russian economy, such as financial services, energy exports, trade and defence co-operation.
In a statement, Mr Razak said he had spoken personally to Mr Borodai and agreed that the remains of 282 victims of the crash, accompanied by six Malaysian members of the recovery team, will be moved by train this evening from Torez to the city of Kharkiv, where they will be handed over to Dutch officials.
The remains will be flown to Amsterdam on a Dutch C130 Hercules, together with the Malaysian team.
The black boxes were due to be handed over to a Malaysian team in Donetsk this evening, said Mr Razak.
Independent international investigators will be guaranteed "safe access to the crash site to begin a full investigation of the incident", he said.
"I must stress that although agreement has been reached, there remain a number of steps required before it is completed," said Mr Razak.
"There is work still to be done, work which relies on continued communication in good faith. Mr Borodai and his people have so far given their co-operation.
"I ask that all parties continue to work together to ensure that this agreement is honoured; that the remains of our people are returned, that the black box is handed over, and that the international team is granted full access to the site.
"Only then can the investigation into MH17 truly begin; only then can the victims be afforded the respect they deserve. We need to know what caused the plane to crash, and who was responsible for it, so that justice may be done."
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressure-mounts-putin-over-mh17-232207751.html
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