Obama calls Cameron, Merkel, Abbott on MH17

WASHINGTON DC, USA – US President Barack Obama spoke by phone on Friday, July 18, with the leaders of Germany, Britain and Australia to discuss how to respond to the downing of a Malaysian jetliner in eastern Ukraine.

The calls to Chancellor Angela Merkel and prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Abbott came after Obama said the missile that Washington believes brought down the passenger plane came from rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine. (READ: #MH17: Dutch victims rises to 189)

The calls to the three leaders all covered the disaster that befell flight MH 17, deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes said.

In the call with Abbott, Obama offered condolences for the loss of Australians on board the jet, which was traveling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur when it went down on Thursday, July 17. (READ: Third of #MH17 passengers were AIDS scientists, workers – reports)

“The two leaders discussed the importance of a prompt, full, unimpeded and transparent international investigation, and they stressed the need for immediate access by international investigators to the crash site,” said a White House statement.

Obama earlier said that the apparent shooting down of the plane was a “wake up call,” for Europe particularly, over the danger of the deepening crisis in Ukraine and the need to toughen sanctions against Russia, which Washington accuses of destabilizing the country.

Obama delivered a similar message in the calls to Cameron and Merkel.

Vice President Joe Biden was also working the phones to talk about the aftermath of the shooting down of the Malaysia jet, which killed all 298 people on board. (READ: ‘Outrage against human decency’ if MH17 shot down: Malaysia)

He spoke for the second day running with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Tusk and Biden noted that Russia was “supplying weapons and training – including anti-aircraft weapons – to the separatists, with profoundly destablilizing consequences,” a White House statement said. – Rappler.com