MH17 Attack: Looking for Clues In A Potential Pivotal Event

• More than half of the 298 people dead in the MH17 shot over Ukraine yesterday are Dutch nationals. So far Prime Minister Mark Rutte issued a very short statement while his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called for an international investigation. Here’s a quick overview [in Dutch] of media coverage in the Netherlands.

• Daily Beast: the missile that likely shot down MH17.

• US Senator John McCain wants to “impose the most severe sanctions” on Russia.

• Will this tragedy sway European politicians into a tougher stance against Russia? And will it force China away from its de facto acceptance of Russian aggression in Ukraine? So far the Chinese foreign ministry has offered the usual bromides, but they have a rather amicable relationship with Malaysia and may find they can’t pretend to be neutral while satisfying everyone, or even anyone.

• Russia’s Pravda says that Canada is offering Ukraine 20 decommissioned F/A-18A/B fighters for refurbishment cost, along with support. Reports from Canada only mention CF-18s being sent to bolster NATO air patrols over the Baltic States, and Army units headed for Poland. Canada has a Ukrainian community that’s over 1 million strong, in a country of 30+ million – big enough that they could influence the next election. The Harper government has taken a front-rank role since the crisis there, but that has meant Russian retaliation. Just how far would Canada be willing to go?