"We are holding Russia responsible for their role in the deployment of the Buk rocket system." The diplomatic escalation comes at a time when relations between Western powers and Russia have reached their lowest point in decades. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Washington supported the decisions by the Netherlands and Australia "to hold Russia to account." Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the Netherlands and Australia would seek unspecified financial damages. Blok said that attempts to hold Russia responsible for the plane's downing under international law would be a different, parallel process from the ongoing investigation by prosecutors seeking to establish individual criminal responsibility.

Source: The Star May 25, 2018 08:26 UTC