KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said that he raised the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
According to Anwar, Russia had from the beginning called for an independent and detailed investigation into the 2014 tragedy and was prepared to fully cooperate – but only with bodies it deems impartial.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that Russia is not refusing to cooperate, Anwar told Malaysian media covering his official visit to Moscow, in a video he posted on his social media channels.
“But he is unable to cooperate with bodies that he or Russia consider as not being independent,” he said.
The conversation comes in the wake of fresh findings by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which concluded that Russia was responsible for the downing of MH17.
According to the report, the aircraft was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a Russian missile over eastern Ukraine, where fighting was ongoing between Russian proxy forces and Ukrainian forces. All 298 passengers and crew were killed.
The ICAO, a United Nations aviation body, also said it would consider appropriate forms of compensation in the coming weeks.
Anwar said Putin conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and stressed Russia’s position that any investigation must be “thorough, comprehensive, and non-politicised”.
The prime minister said he raised the matter in his capacity as a representative of the Malaysian people, especially the families of those who died.
“For sure, as a representative of the Malaysian people, particularly the families of the victims, I took the opportunity to raise the issue with President Vladimir Putin during our bilateral discussions,” he said.
Anwar said he would inform the victims’ families about the feedback received from Putin.
In November 2022, a Dutch court convicted two Russian nationals and a Ukrainian in absentia for their involvement in the attack.
Meanwhile, during a joint press conference with Putin in Moscow yesterday, Anwar invited Russian airlines, including Aeroflot, to resume direct flights to Malaysia as soon as possible.
“We have taken a position of centrality in Malaysia, as well as Asean, to decide for ourselves what is best for Malaysia and its people,” he said
Aeroflot is the largest Russian airline group, which includes the Rossiya and Pobeda airlines. In 2024, Aeroflot carried 30.1 million passengers; 55.3 million if other Aeroflot Group airlines are included.
Anwar arrived in Moscow on May 13 for a four-day official visit, held at Putin’s invitation.
Both leaders met behind closed doors before attending a luncheon and bilateral discussions. Anwar, who is also finance minister, is scheduled to continue the second leg of his visit in Kazan, Tatarstan, today. – May 15, 2025