Developing | Obama says Europe should see the tragedy of MH17 as 'wake-up call'
At least one Hong Kong resident among the 298 killed in suspected attack on civilian airliner
President Barack Obama said on Friday the downing of Malaysia Air MH17 in a Ukrainian region controlled by Russian-backed separatists should be a "wake-up call" for the West in its drive to hold Moscow accountable for a crisis that appears to be at a turning point.
"This certainly will be a wake-up call for Europe and the world that there are consequences to an escalating conflict in eastern Ukraine; that it is not going to be localised, it is not going to be contained," Obama told reporters.
While stopping short of blaming Russia for Thursday’s crash of flight MH17, in which 298 people died, Obama accused Russia of failing to stop the violence that made it possible to shoot down the plane.
"The violence that’s taking place there is facilitated in large part because of Russian support," Obama said. "If Mr Putin makes a decision that we are not going to allow heavy armaments and the flow of fighters into Ukraine across the Ukrainian-Russian border, then it will stop.
"He has the most control over that situation... and so far, at least, he has not exercised it."
Watch: Obama: Putin must push separatists to aid MH17 probe