19.07.2014

The Russian – Ukrainian border must be closed

The crash of the Malaysian Airlines flight is an immense tragedy, and I send my deepest condolences to the families and the relatives of the victims. An independent international investigation must be conducted without delay and without restrictions.

Wherever the responsibilities for the crash lie, this catastrophe sheds again light on the fact that the militia and rebels in the Eastern regions of Ukraine have access to sophisticated weapons. It is now time for Russia to show its credibility and prove to the world that it commits itself to establishing clear and well defined conditions for the control of borders, in order to dry up this flow of arms in the region. The full and effective control of the border by the Ukrainian authorities with the assistance from the OSCE must be ensured, and Russia has to actively use its influence over the illegally armed groups for the achievement of that goal  and should set the conditions for it also on its side.

Russia will otherwise lose any credibility that it is interested in a peaceful political solution.