US ‘outraged’ after Russia vetoes UN resolution on MH17

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations says the U.S. is outraged after Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have set up an international criminal court to prosecute those responsible for shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine a year ago. “When people see Russia’s hand up on something like this, when […]

The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations says the U.S. is outraged after Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have set up an international criminal court to prosecute those responsible for shooting down a Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine a year ago.
“When people see Russia’s hand up on something like this, when the whole world is united  that when a civilian airliner goes up in smoke and so many families are affected, it is in all of our interests, our collective interests to see that justice is done,” U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power told VOA.
Russia has offered its own draft resolution, demanding justice for those responsible for the crash, but opposing a criminal tribunal regarding the MH17 air disaster. That, according to Power, brings up other questions.
“I think not only does it raise real questions about Russia’s relationship to the crime itself and what they’re afraid of within the creation of an independent tribunal, but also raises real questions about the Security Council and whether it can be counted on to enforce the U.N. charter, which holds the borders of nations sacred and calls on nations to respect the integrity of its neighbours,” she said. “And it does not say specifically, but certainly never intended for any member of the U.N. to back a set of militants who might shoot a civilian airliner out of the sky.”
Malaysia, the Netherlands, Australia, Ukraine and Belgium had expressed their support for an international tribunal on the crash and Malaysia had circulated the draft resolution. The foreign ministers of all five counties were present in the U.N. Security Council’s meeting Wednesday.