The United States has welcomed the decision by a Dutch court to convict three members of Russia's proxy forces in eastern Ukraine for their role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. A statement on the US State Department website said the court's decision in The Hague is an important moment in the ongoing efforts to bring justice to the 298 people who lost their lives on July 17, 2014. The statement added that the decision is the result of the ongoing work of a joint investigation team comprised of authorities from the Netherlands, Australia and Belgium. Malaysia and Ukraine, and reflects the firm commitment of the Netherlands to establishing the truth and pursuing accountability in this case. While this is a strong step towards justice, there is still more work ahead to meet the UN Security Council's demand in Resolution 2166 that "those responsible ... be held accountable".
It is noteworthy that a Dutch court convicted three suspects of premeditated murder and sentenced them in absentia to life imprisonment, and acquitted a fourth of the charges of shooting down the Malaysian Airlines plane with a Buk missile over Ukrainian territory.