STATEMENT BY CONGRESSWOMAN MARCY KAPTUR (OH-09) ON THE DOWNING OF MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 17

TOLEDO - (July 18, 2014) - My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the families of those lost aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and with the people of the Netherlands, Malaysia, and Ukraine as they confront this tragedy. Further, I join calls for an immediate ceasefire in Eastern Ukraine.

As details continue to emerge in the days and weeks ahead, the United States and the world community must demand full cooperation from all parties—Ukrainian authorities, Russian-backed separatists, and Russia’s government—for a speedy, thorough, and transparent investigation into this crash. As President Obama stated this morning, FBI and National Transportation Safety Board personnel stand ready to assist in this investigation to ensure the truth comes to light.

If U.S. intelligence proves true and MH17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile launched from territory controlled by Russian-backed forces, it is difficult to see how Russia and President Putin are not culpable and responsible for these tragic deaths. The violence and instability we have seen throughout Eastern Ukraine, which continues to escalate, would not exist without the direct encouragement and financial support of President Putin and Russian agitators in sovereign Ukraine.

The United States continues to stand with Ukraine and her people, who have every right to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-determination as they strive for greater liberty and a more democratic future.

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