Julie Bishop UN Security Council speech: Australian politician slams Russia’s use of veto power on MH17 international tribunal

Russia’s decision to veto a draft resolution of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 has upset Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop. UNSC held a session in New York on Wednesday to discuss the issue and Bishop slammed Russia’s use of veto power during her speech.

At the UN assembly, Bishop stated that it is unthinkable for the UNSC to stop being involved from holding certain people accountable for their responsibility in the downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17/MH17.

“The veto only compounds the atrocity,” Bishop said in her speech.

Bishop believes that Russia’s decision to bar the UNSC tribunal must be treated with “utmost disdain.” She also thinks that the veto shouldn’t deny justice.

Bishop even shared a photo on her official Twitter account to show that the representatives of the investigative team are unified on the issue.

“United and resolved to obtain justice #MH17 #Malaysia #Australia #Ukraine #Belgium #TheNetherlands seek #UNSC support,” Bishop tweeted.

United States Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, also believes that Russia’s veto has ignored the public’s protests and the plea for justice of the victims’ loved ones.

Power finds Russia’s decision tragic because the country used the veto power handed over to them to discourage international peace and security. In a report from The Guardian, Power also made it clear that Russia’s veto will not deny the MH17 victims and their families the justice they seek.

ABC News reports Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s UN ambassador, believes that it was early to set up an international tribunal because there were “no grounds” as the MH17 crash in Ukraine was “not a threat to international security.”

“This in our view indicates the fact that political purposes were more important for them than practical objectives. This of course is regrettable,” Churkin said in the ABC News report.

Churkin assures that Russia is ready to oblige in accomplishing a “full, independent and objective investigation” on the causes and conditions of the MH17 flight that crashed on July 17, 2014 in close proximity to Torez in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.

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