President criticises calls for UN tribunal on downing of airliner

July 16, 2015 9:43 AM

The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin also told Prime Minister Mark Rutte in a phone call, on the eve of the first anniversary of the incident in which all 298 aboard were killed, that such proposals were premature.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (front) delivers a speech at the gala concert of the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition at the Moscow Conservatory, Russia, July 2, 2015. REUTERS/Aleksey Nikolskyi/RIA Novosti/Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Dutch prime minister on Thursday that calls for setting up an international tribunal to prosecute those suspected of bringing down a Malaysian passenger airliner over Ukraine were counterproductive.