LOC10:44
07:44 GMT
WASHINGTON, July 23 (KUNA) -- US President Barack Obama spoke Tuesday with Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands and the leaders agreed that "once the remains of the victims have been properly repatriated, the main priority must be to secure the crash site in order to allow for a full and transparent international investigation."
A White House statement said Obama "welcomed the action taken today by the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council strongly condemning the actions leading to this tragedy and preparing additional sanctions against those destabilizing Ukraine."
Obama and Rutte noted their "concerns about further evidence that Russia is continuing to send weapons and fighters across the border to support the separatists, while continuing to mass its own forces."
The two officials agreed "the EU and United States must remain united with regard to events in Ukraine and that Russia will face increasing costs if it continues its support for violent separatists and fails to cease its efforts to destabilize Ukraine," the statement stressed.
On another note, Rutte thanked Obama for his visit to the Dutch Embassy in Washington earlier today and said "it was greatly appreciated by the Dutch people."
Obama visited the Dutch Embassy where he signed a condolence book. In remarks at the Embassy, Obama said "we're all heartbroken by what's happened. And this is an opportunity for me ... to assure the Dutch people that we will work with them to make sure that loved ones are recovered, that a proper investigation is conducted, and that, ultimately, justice is done."(end)
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