“Stop Blocking Malaysia Airlines MH17 Investigations” – Obama Tells Putin

WASHINGTON, D.C (Reuters/NAN) The  United States President Barack Obama, on Monday piled pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to force pro-Russian separatists to stop blocking an international investigation into the Malaysian airplane crash site.

In remarks at the White House, Obama said Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine have kept investigators away from the site of the Malaysian Airlines plane.

He also accused the pro-Russian separatists of firing their weapons into the air.

“What are they trying to hide?” he said.

Obama said Putin and Russia have a direct responsibility to compel separatists to cooperate with the investigation.

He added that the burden was now on Moscow to insist that separatists stop tampering with the investigation.