Canberra -The Australia’s foreign minister said on Thursday her country stood ready to provide whatever resources were needed to secure the Malaysian airliner’s crash site in Ukraine, as newspapers reported Australian troops and police could soon be sent.
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Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was traveling with her Dutch counterpart Frans Timmermans to meet with Ukraine leaders in Kyiv to discuss securing the crash site in rebel-held east Ukraine.
She said securing the crash site was the next priority for Australia after repatriating the 37 Australian citizens and residents aboard the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 which was shot down by a suspected surface-to-air missile last week, with the loss of 298 lives.
“We stand ready to provide whatever support or resources are needed,” Bishop said in a statement.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday he was discussing with government leaders options for securing the 50-square kilometer (20-square mile) crash site, including his preferred option of a multinational security force mounted by countries such as Australia, Netherlands and Malaysia that lost citizens in the disaster.
Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the option likely to be presented to Abbott on Thursday would involve an Australian Federal Police-led taskforce protected by Australian troops which would join a likely Dutch-led multinational security force.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had already asked Abbott if Australia would participate in a Dutch-led task force, the newspaper reported.
A national newspaper, The Australian, reported up to 100 Australian police and troops could be sent to Ukraine under a range of options being considered by the government. Neither newspaper cited sources, but are regularly provided with anonymous but accurate information by the government.
Abbott’s office did not immediately respond on Thursday to a request for comment on the reports.
He warned on Wednesday that remains of some victims might never be recovered unless there is a secure and thorough search of the crash site.
Bishop presented an Australia-sponsored resolution to the U.N. Security Council that passed unanimously on Monday demanding that rebels who hold the crash site cooperate with an independent investigation and allow victims’ remains to be recovered.