JET TRAGEDY GIVES PUTIN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEACE
The search is on for “black boxes” that could shed light on what happened when an apparently Russian-made missile supplied by Russia downed a Malaysian jetliner Thursday afternoon, killing all 298 aboard.
Too bad there are no diplomatic “black boxes” that would reveal how to defuse what is shaping up in eastern Ukraine to be the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War.
On Friday, world leaders, including President Barack Obama, demanded an immediate ceasefire and cooperation with international investigators. The U.N. Security Council on Friday called for “a full, thorough and independent international investigation.” On Saturday, Ukraine’s government said it had proof that Russia provided the missile system. Russia denies involvement.
But it’s not clear Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is calling for talks even as he has escalated the confrontation between the Ukraine government and insurgents for weeks, is ready to call a halt to the fighting.
He remains the one person who can call a halt to fighting that threatens people across the globe.
Yes, Washington has imposed new sanctions hitting Russian banks and major energy companies, and Europe has added less-stringent sanctions of its own. But popular support at home for Putin, fueled by relentless propaganda, has surged despite a weak economy. His annexation of Crimea and his challenging the West in Ukraine have played well for him politically. Any sign of backing down now could hurt his standing significantly.
But Putin remains the one person who can call a halt to fighting that threatens people across the globe. Victims on Flight 17, which was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, were from nearly a dozen nations. Several airlines have announced they will now avoid parts of Ukrainian airspace. This is no longer an isolated confrontation.
In fact, the fighting now threatens European security if it spreads. Putin needs to stop fanning the flames and cut off the money and flow of arms to the pro-Russian separatists he has unleashed, before they slip from his control. We don’t want a replay of Bosnia in Ukraine.
If, as seems plausible, separatists decided to shoot down the jetliner without Moscow’s authorization, the tragedy may offer Putin his best chance to reverse course and work out a peace deal with Ukraine. The challenge for the West is to apply sufficient pressure on Moscow to make Putin see his Ukraine proxy war as a lose- lose situation while leaving him an opportunity to change course, as unlikely as that seems.
It would be wise for Putin to act quickly. As more information emerges, it seems likely that Russian fingerprints on the Ukraine war and jetliner disaster will become more apparent.
U.S. intelligence authorities say a Russian-made SA-11 surface-toair missile brought down the jet, and that it was fired from a rebelheld area near the Russian border.
Also, Russian involvement in the fighting has become increasingly clear. Vehicles that recently crossed into Ukraine had Russian insignia and flags.
The charred remains of the Malaysian flight are a tragic sign of a war spinning out of control. Around the world, loved ones of the vacationers, students and scientists who died were suffering from shock and looking for answers. A credible investigation of the jet crash is essential.
On Friday, Obama said, “For months we’ve supported a pathway to peace, and the Ukrainian government has reached out to all Ukrainians, put forward a peace plan and lived up to a cease-fire, despite repeated violations by the separatists, violations that took the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and personnel.”
It’s time for Putin to join that pathway to peace, both for the good of Russia and the rest of the world.