The West must stop pandering to Putin

RESPONSIBILITY for shooting down the Malaysian jet, an outrageous international crime that claimed the lives of all 298 people on board, lies squarely at the door of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Though he did not press the button that launched the deadly missile, his fingerprints were all over the trigger.

Mr Putin likes to think fellow Russians admire him for his prowess on the judo mat. There is, however, a growing international perception that he confuses the skills of martial arts with those of statesmanship.