WATCH ABOVE: Malaysian minister calls downing of MH17 “an outrage.”
International leaders and officials expressed grief and shock at the crash Thursday in eastern Ukraine of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet, killing all 298 people on board. The plane, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, had passengers of more than a dozen nationalities – including one Canadian.
Several world leaders pledged to contribute to investigation efforts, which are ongoing as emergency crews sift through the wreckage.
READ MORE: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17: More than 180 bodies found at crash site
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper:
“We understand from reports that a Canadian citizen is among the dead. On behalf of the Government of Canada, Laureen and I offer our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the victims of this outrageous act,” Harper said in a statement.
“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.”
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird:
U.S. President Barack Obama:
Obama called the crash a “terrible tragedy.” And in a noon press conference Friday he said U.S. intelligence officials believe the surface-to-air missile that brought down the plane came from pro-Russian separatist territory in eastern Ukraine. He also said there was one dual Dutch-U.S. citizen aboard.
“It is critical that there be a full, credible, and unimpeded international investigation as quickly as possible. We urge all concerned – Russia, the pro-Russian separatists, and Ukraine – to support an immediate cease-fire in order to ensure safe and unfettered access to the crash site for international investigators and in order to facilitate the recovery of remains,” the White House said in a statement.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte:
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“Possibly one of the worst air disasters in Dutch history. … I am shocked. I am broken up. All of us in the Netherlands are in deep mourning.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak:
“We must – and we will – find out precisely what happened to this flight. No stone can be left unturned. If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice.”
“This is a tragic day, in what has already been a tragic year, for Malaysia. … The flight’s passengers and crew came from many different countries. But today, regardless of nationality, we are all united in grief.”
United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron:
Russian President Vladimir Putin:
“This tragedy would not have happened if there were peace on this land, if the military actions had not been renewed in southeast Ukraine.”
“And, certainly, the state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility for this awful tragedy.”
Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko:
Called the attack an “act of terrorism” and demanded an international investigation.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott:
“We owe it as well to the families of the dead to find out exactly what has happened and exactly who is responsible. … As things stand, this looks less like an accident than a crime. And if so, the perpetrators must be brought to justice.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry:
“We are horrified by the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. There are no words adequate to express our condolences to the families of the nearly 300 victims. We offer our sympathies and support to the Governments of Malaysia and the Netherlands at this difficult time, as well as to all those whose citizens may have been on board. We are reviewing whether any American citizens were aboard the flight.”
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon:
“There is clearly a need for a full and transparent international investigation.”
Chris Beyrer, president-elect of the International AIDS Society:
If Dutch HIV researcher Joep Lange was on Flight 17, “then the HIV/AIDS movement has truly lost a giant.”
The World Health Organization:
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