State Department fails to issue statement on anniversary of MH17 crash
Relatives attend the unveiling of the National Monument for the MH17 victims in Vijfhuizen, on July 17, 2017. Photo: REMKO DE WAAL/AFP/Getty Images
For the first time in the four years since a Russian missile downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukrainian airspace, killing all 298 passengers on board, the State Department did not release a statement acknowledging the anniversary or condemning Russia's silence, reports Foreign Policy.
Why it matters: The anniversary, July 17, came just one day after President Trump's highly criticized meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Foreign Policy obtained a statement drafted by officials at the State Department denouncing Russia for its role in the attack, but it was never released for reasons that have not been publicly explained.