The destruction of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet in eastern Ukraine was an “egregious act of terror,” Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said Friday, in a strongly worded statement that appeared to pin the blame for the disaster on Russia’s influence in the troubled region.
Alexander said the Canadian government is ready to provide assistance to Ukrainian authorities with the investigation. He also said Canada “condemns” Russia’s military aggression and “illegal occupation of Ukraine.”
Flight MH17 had been en route to Kuala Lumpur via Amsterdam went it was shot down Thursday in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
“This is an egregious act of terror with an unacceptable human toll,” Alexander said. “Those responsible must be found and face the full force of the law.”
“We will continue to stand with our international partners in the defence of peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law,” the minister said.
Although there are no conclusions yet as to what or who caused the crash, U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday that evidence indicated Flight 17 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile from an area controlled by Russia-supported separatist forces. Obama also suggested Russia had enabled the forces to shoot down the plane by providing support to the separatists.
"Obviously, we're beginning to draw some conclusions given the nature of the shot that was fired," Obama said.
Speaking at an event in Toronto Friday afternoon, Alexander reiterated the Canadian government’s stance, calling the crash a “brutal act of terror against perfectly innocent civilians.”
“We continue to condemn as a government and I think, as a people, the acts of aggression that Russia continues to perpetrate in Ukraine, with their illegal occupation of Crimea and continuing support for conflict and separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.”
In a statement Thursday following the plane crash, Prime Minister Stephen Harper also condemned Russia’s presence in Ukraine.
“While we do not yet know who is responsible for this attack, we continue to condemn Russia’s military aggression and illegal occupation of Ukraine, which is at the root of the ongoing conflict in the region,” Harper said.
