Answer by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Alexander Lukashevich, to the question from the Russian mass media about anti- Russian statements by the Australian Prime Minister
1727-18-07-2014
Question: How does the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs assess the accusations made against Russia by the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, with regard to the crash of the Malaysian passenger jet over the territory of Ukraine?
Answer: On this occasion, we again extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the dead, who, as we know, include Australian nationals. Of course, we noted the public statements by the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, of the 18 July. Without bothering to prove anything and using only assumptions, Mr. Abbott pointed to the guilty even before the investigation started. According to his words, these were “Russian-backed rebels” and “Russia”. At the same time, he makes a request to the Government of the Russian Federation to “support a full investigation” of the circumstances of the crash of this civil plane. We think that the statements by Tony Abbott are unacceptable. We are to say the least puzzled that they come from a leader of the country which likes so much to emphasise its commitment to the principle of unprejudiced and fair justice. Russia has stated many times that it insists on an extremely objective and open investigation of the causes and circumstances of these events, as well as its readiness to interact closely with interested partners to make a contribution in order to uncover the real picture of these events. Tony Abbott would be better to address his requests, with regard to cooperation in the investigation into the tragedy, to the Ukrainian authorities who bear full responsibility for the events in the territory of their country. Those countries, which, despite our multiple warnings, actually promote Kiev’s punitive operation against its own nationals in the South-East of the country, will have to share the responsibility.
Comment by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding new attacks on Russia by senior members of the Australia government
1904-13-08-2014
Answer: The Russian Foreign Ministry regards as unacceptable the groundless statements by senior members of the Australia government in recent days blaming Russia wholesale for the tragic events in Ukraine, including the crash of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17. We continue to hear absurd claims that the humanitarian aid convoy to help the civilian population of south-east Ukraine is a pretext for a Russian “invasion” of a neighbouring state. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, whose job it is to build rather than destroy bridges between nations, went farther than anyone else in these irresponsible attacks on our country. The general impression is that certain members of the Australian government, under the weight of their own inflated ambitions, have irrevocably lost their grip on what’s happening in and around Ukraine.
13 August 2014