Canada, international community talk tough against Russia following Malaysia Airlines crash

While we don't know exactly what happened yet, the international community is putting Russian President Vladimir Putin on notice over the downing of an Malaysian Airlines plane over Ukraine territory on Thursday.

The United States alleges that a surface-to-air missile was used — most likely by Russian-backed separatists — to down flight MH17, killing all 298 on board, including Canadian Andrei Anghel.

The flight was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

[ Released: Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17: Andrei Anghel, from Ajax, Ont., was on downed flight ]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper released this statement on Thursday alluding to the indirect invovlement of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"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," Harper said.

"Canada stands ready to provide whatever support it can to assist authorities in determining the cause of the crash."

Throughout the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Harper has emerged as one of the world's most vocal critics against Russia, their annexation of Crimea and their provocations in Eastern Ukraine. The prime minister was quick to impose sanctions and travel bans against Russian officials and has consistently chided Putin's inaction towards peace in the region.

During an emergency United Nations security council meeting on Friday, Canada's ambassador to the UN continued the 'tough' talk.

"With evidence mounting that the airliner was brought down by a surface to air missile, we are increasingly convinced that this is not only a tragedy but also very likely the result of an outrageous crime perpetrated against hundreds of innocent civilians of many nationalities," Guillermo Rishchynski said.

"Malaysian Airlines flight 17 was brought down in a region of Ukraine embroiled in armed conflict. This is a conflict generated by and perpetuated by Russia's provocative military actions against the soverignty, territorieal integrity and independence of Ukraine. We once again call upon Russia to cease it's political financial and material support to armed insurgence in Eastern Ukraine.

"Following the loss of so many lives aboard Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, the grave international consequences of Russian-sponsored violence in eastern Ukraine are now plain for all to see."

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power didn't mince her words either.

She put forward the case that the weapon that shot the plane down could only come from "Russian-backed separatists.

"If indeed Russian-backed separatists were behind this attack on a civilian airliner they and their backers would have good reason to cover up evidence of their crime," she said.

"While it may take us some time to firmly establish who shot down a plane filled with innocents, most council members and most members of the international community have been warning for months about the devastation that would come if Russia did not stop what it started. If it did not reign-in what it unleashed. The context for yesterday's horror is clear: separatist forces backed by the Russian government continue to destabilize Ukraine and undermine the efforts of Ukraine's elected leaders to build a democratic Ukraine."

Power also alleged that, to date, President Putin has been disingenuous in his calls for peace.

"Russia says that it seeks peace in Ukraine. But we have repeatedly provided this council with evidence of Russia's continued support to the separatists.

"Time after time, President Putin has committed to working toward dialogure and peace...and every single time he has broken that commitment."

For their part, the Russian ambassador urged the international community to refrain from pointing fingers.

"There's a need for an impartial open investigation of what happened. Pressure shouldn't be brought to be bare on this investigation trying to pre-judge its outcome with broad statements and insinuations that are unjustified," he told the council while doing some pointing of his own.

"Why did the Ukraine aviation dispatchers send a passenger flight to an area of military clashes?

"It would seem that there would be a need to be an investigation, not only of the disaster, but also the extent to which the Ukrainian aviation authorities carried out their obligations."

[ Related: Missile debris could hold key to determining who brought down Malaysia Airlines jet ]

As explained by CNN, all this comes while the international community expands sanctions against Russian individuals and companies.

To date however, those sanctions don't seem to have had any meaningful impact.

(Photo courtesy of The Canadian Press)

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