President
delivered a statement Monday calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip
and Russian support in controlling Ukraine's separatists.
President Barack Obama speaks to the press on Ukraine Monday outside the Oval Office at the White House.
President Barack Obama delivered a statement
Monday morning as Israel and Hamas continue to battle in the Gaza Strip
and Russian separatists continue to impede Malaysia Airlines Flight 17
investigation efforts.
Amid international turmoil, Obama spoke to reporters outside of the White House, first addressing Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas militants.
“We have serious concerns about the rising number of Palestinian civilian deaths,” Obama said. “That is why it now has to be our focus, and the focus of the international community, that brings about a cease-fire.”
Secretary of State John Kerry is due in Cairo Monday to discuss cease-fire negotiations with international officials. Though Obama cited Israel’s “right to defend itself” against Hamas missile strikes that now number in the thousands, he said he has instructed Kerry to prioritize de-escalation.
“The work will not be easy. Obviously, there are enormous passions involved in this and some very difficult strategic issues involved,” Obama said of the two-week-long conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants that has resulted in hundreds of casualties, many of them women and children.
“We don’t want to see any more civilians getting killed,” Obama said.
The president then addressed the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which crashed Thursday over a pro-Russian separatist-controlled region of eastern Ukraine.
The plane is believed to have been shot down. Ukrainian officials point the finger at pro-Russian militants, though they have publicly denied involvement.
Obama said investigation efforts into what caused the crash have been impeded by pro-Russian separatists, who have assumed control of the crash site and have begun removing evidence.
“Unfortunately, the Russian-backed separatists continue to block the investigation,” Obama said of the militants. “All of which begs the question, what exactly are they trying to hide?”
Obama said responsibility lies with the Russian government, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, to convince the separatists to cooperate with an international investigation.
“Russia has urged them on, Russia has trained them, Russia has armed them,” Obama said. “Russia, and President Putin in particular, has direct responsibility to compel them to cooperate with the investigation.”
Obama said an investigation, and the ability to recover the bodies of the crash’s victims, would be “the least that decency demands.”
Obama called for Russia, and Putin, to “get serious” about addressing the separatists. And he threatened that “the costs for Russia’s behavior will only continue to increase” if the country “continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
“This [obstruction] is an insult to those who’ve lost loved ones. This is the kind of behavior that has no place in the community of nations,” Obama said. “What [investigators] need right now is immediate and full access to the crash site.”
"We have to make sure the truth is out and that accountability exists," he said
Amid international turmoil, Obama spoke to reporters outside of the White House, first addressing Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas militants.
“We have serious concerns about the rising number of Palestinian civilian deaths,” Obama said. “That is why it now has to be our focus, and the focus of the international community, that brings about a cease-fire.”
Secretary of State John Kerry is due in Cairo Monday to discuss cease-fire negotiations with international officials. Though Obama cited Israel’s “right to defend itself” against Hamas missile strikes that now number in the thousands, he said he has instructed Kerry to prioritize de-escalation.
Obama Calls for Immediate Access to Crash Site
President
Barack Obama is calling for international investigators to have
"immediate and full access" to the site in Ukraine where a passenger jet
was shot down last week, and he called on Russia to compel separatists
in the...
“The work will not be easy. Obviously, there are enormous passions involved in this and some very difficult strategic issues involved,” Obama said of the two-week-long conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants that has resulted in hundreds of casualties, many of them women and children.
“We don’t want to see any more civilians getting killed,” Obama said.
The president then addressed the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which crashed Thursday over a pro-Russian separatist-controlled region of eastern Ukraine.
The plane is believed to have been shot down. Ukrainian officials point the finger at pro-Russian militants, though they have publicly denied involvement.
Obama said investigation efforts into what caused the crash have been impeded by pro-Russian separatists, who have assumed control of the crash site and have begun removing evidence.
“Unfortunately, the Russian-backed separatists continue to block the investigation,” Obama said of the militants. “All of which begs the question, what exactly are they trying to hide?”
Obama said responsibility lies with the Russian government, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, to convince the separatists to cooperate with an international investigation.
“Russia has urged them on, Russia has trained them, Russia has armed them,” Obama said. “Russia, and President Putin in particular, has direct responsibility to compel them to cooperate with the investigation.”
Obama said an investigation, and the ability to recover the bodies of the crash’s victims, would be “the least that decency demands.”
Obama called for Russia, and Putin, to “get serious” about addressing the separatists. And he threatened that “the costs for Russia’s behavior will only continue to increase” if the country “continues to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
“This [obstruction] is an insult to those who’ve lost loved ones. This is the kind of behavior that has no place in the community of nations,” Obama said. “What [investigators] need right now is immediate and full access to the crash site.”
"We have to make sure the truth is out and that accountability exists," he said
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