The West may like to think of Russia President Vladimir Putin as a villain but the former spy is not to be blamed for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

Russian Ambassador to Malaysia Lyudmila G Vorobyeva made this point when asked to respond to family members of victims on board the ill-fated Flight MH17 blaming Putin for the disaster.

She said it was "wrong" for families to blame Putin but the reaction was understandable.