The shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on 17 July 2014 elicited reactions from numerous countries and organizations.
Countries
In an address to Parliament, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott stated that the aircraft was downed by a missile, which appeared to have been launched by Russian-backed rebels. Additionally, Julie Bishop, the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, remarked in an interview on an Australian television program that it was "extraordinary" her Russian counterparts had refused to speak to her about the shoot-down, even after the Russian ambassador was summoned to meet with her.
The Russian government criticized Abbott's response, describing his comments as "inappropriate" and accusing him of making "an accusation of guilt based on speculation," as he was one of the first world leaders to publicly link the shoot-down to Russia. Abbott later criticized the recovery efforts, calling them "shambolic" and comparing them to "a garden clean-up rather than a forensic investigation." Meanwhile, Bishop publicly warned separatist forces against treating the victims' bodies as hostages.
The downing of the flight resulted in the deaths of 38 Australian citizens and residents. Ahead of the 2014 G20 meeting in Brisbane, Tony Abbott sought to draw attention to Russia's role in the incident. During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit in Beijing, Abbott reportedly informed Putin that Australia had evidence indicating the missile that destroyed the plane was of Russian origin. He suggested that Russia should consider apologizing and providing appropriate restitution to the victims. However, Russia continued to deny any involvement.Tony Abbott tells Vladimir Putin to consider apology and compensation for MH17; The Guardian; 12 November
Following the release of the Dutch Safety Board report on the downing, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull declared that Australia "will not be bullied by Russia" and emphasized that "those who committed this crime must answer for it." Regarding Russia's veto at the UN Security Council, Turnbull remarked, "[W]e [Australia] deplore the conduct of Russia using its Security Council veto in July to block the establishment of a special international criminal tribunal".
Austrian Foreign Affairs Minister Sebastian Kurz called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the tragedy and emphasized the need for "free access for the experts."
The Crown Prince of Bahrain, Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, expressed his sincere condolences on behalf of His Majesty King Hamad and the Kingdom of Bahrain to the King, government, and people of Malaysia following the tragic crash of the aircraft. During a telephone conversation with the Malaysian Prime Minister, the Crown Prince prayed for God Almighty to protect Malaysia and other Muslim countries from such tragedies. He also conveyed his deepest sympathy to the families of the victims, praying for their souls to rest in peace and for their families to find strength and courage.
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock over the crash of the Malaysian passenger airliner. On behalf of her government and the people of Bangladesh, she conveyed her condolences to the Malaysian Prime Minister, stating: "We pray that Almighty Allah may grant eternal peace to the departed souls and courage and fortitude to the families of the victims to bear the loss."
Additionally, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali sent a separate message to his Malaysian counterpart. He expressed his shock over the tragedy and extended his deep condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko sent condolences to the head of state of Malaysia, the King of the Netherlands, and the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia regarding the victims of the Malaysia Airlines plane crash. In a statement, he said, "On behalf of the Belarusian people, I extend sincere condolences in connection with the terrible crash of the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 in Ukrainian airspace."
Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo expressed his condolences following the Malaysia Airlines flight tragedy. He stated, "On behalf of the Belgian government, I express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the many victims of the Malaysia Airlines flight." He paid particular attention to the five Belgian victims, offering support to their families and friends.
Di Rupo also conveyed deep sympathy to the Dutch people and authorities. He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation, stating, "I want full clarity on the exact circumstances of this tragedy and for those responsible to be quickly identified and brought to justice."
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff stated that "the Brazilian government will remain neutral until there is clearer information about the incident." She emphasized the importance of identifying those responsible for the shoot-down.
His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei sent condolence messages to the leaders of Malaysia and the Netherlands following the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in Ukraine. In his messages, the monarch expressed deep sadness upon hearing the shocking news. He further stated that Her Majesty Queen Saleha, the government, and the people of Brunei joined him in offering condolences and sympathies to the victims' families. The Sultan also prayed that "Allah S.W.T would bestow His blessings upon the victims' souls and place them among His loved and pious ones."
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev sent his condolences to the King of the Netherlands and the leaders of Malaysia on behalf of the Bulgarian people, expressing sympathy for the families and relatives of the victims. The president strongly condemned any act of violence that leads to the loss of life and called for an immediate and thorough international investigation to identify the causes and those responsible for the tragedy.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement expressing that he was "shocked and saddened" upon learning of the downing of the flight. While the cause of the crash remained unclear, he emphasized that the Government of Canada continued "to condemn Russia’s military aggression and illegal occupation of Ukraine, which is at the root of the ongoing conflict in the region."
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird called for a "credible and unimpeded" international investigation into the crash and urged pro-Russian forces to withdraw from the crash site. Baird also placed blame for the accident on Russia and the rebels, stating, "The Kremlin may not have pulled the trigger, but it certainly loaded the gun and put it in the murderer’s hand."
The Chilean government issued its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and called for an investigation to be conducted with "extensive, rigorous, and transparent facts." The perpetrators must not go unpunished, and any accomplices should be brought to justice.
General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping sent condolences to the King of Malaysia and the King of the Netherlands over the loss of lives in the downed aircraft, adding that he called for an independent and fair investigation into the tragedy. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang also offered his deep condolences to all the victims.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos issued a statement, saying he had instructed the embassy to the United Nations to "support any actions aimed at establishing the truth and identifying those responsible for this atrocious crime in Ukraine."
Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a press release expressing condolences to the friends and families of the 298 victims of the downing of the Malaysia Airlines aircraft. The press release concluded with the Ministry stating, "We (Colombia) join the international community in demanding that the parties involved in Ukraine allow a transparent, credible, and urgent investigation to be conducted as quickly as possible."
Costa Rica, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, condemned the attack.
Former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Fidel Castro blamed the government of Ukraine for the downing of the Malaysian airplane.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades signed the book of condolences at the Dutch Embassy in Nicosia and expressed sympathy to the government and people of the Netherlands. Earlier, the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for an immediate investigation and extended condolences to the families of the victims. The Ministry also conveyed sympathy to the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Malaysia, as well as to the governments of all other nations whose citizens senselessly lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek, during a meeting at the Council of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, expressed his deep condolences to the families of the victims and the governments of the involved countries. He added, "Separatists must ensure unrestricted and safe access to the crash site, enabling an examination of the accident and ensuring humane treatment and repatriation of the victims. Those who committed this crime will be held accountable. We demand dignified treatment of the victims' remains and permanent access for international disaster experts to conduct a proper independent investigation."
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt called for a "thorough and independent" inquiry into the incident and urged the international community to reach an agreement on how to hold the responsible parties accountable. In a statement, she said, "We completely support calls for a thorough and independent investigation to be carried out soon into the circumstances that led to this tragic incident. We also need the international community to discuss what consequences should follow and how to hold those responsible accountable."
President Taur Matan Ruak expressed being "shocked" over the tragedy and offered condolences to the Malaysian government, particularly to the bereaved families and the countries of the nationalities involved.
Ecuador, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, expressed its "deep regret" over the downing of the flight and extended "solidarity with the families of the victims." The Foreign Ministry of Ecuador also strongly condemned the action and supported a thorough investigation.
Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas, in his statement, said, "We are going to tighten sanctions against Russia. It is our moral obligation to the victims of MH17." Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet also stated that his country is ready to participate in the MH17 investigation.
Fiji's interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama sent his condolences to Australia over the loss of lives in the Malaysia Airlines crash.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Alexander Stubb offered their condolences to those affected by the loss of life aboard the flight. Niinistö expressed his deepest condolences on his own behalf and on behalf of the people of Finland to the families and loved ones of the victims. A written message was sent to the Malaysian Prime Minister and the King of the Netherlands.
Stubb called for all parties to immediately launch a thorough and independent investigation into the events in eastern Ukraine. Niinistö also spoke with Vladimir Putin by telephone to ensure that Russia fully cooperates in probing the shooting down of the flight. He told Putin that the plane's fate must be determined by an impartial, independent international investigation, and that blocking or endangering this would be reprehensible.
Following the crash of flight MH17, Finnair crew aboard flight 915 decided to speak about their own near-shootdown incident by the Soviet Union, which occurred during the Cold War.