Obama tells Dutch royals US committed to Malaysia Airlines jet inquest

Washington: US President Barack Obama on Monday welcomed Dutch royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima to the White House, promising to help call to account those who shot down a Malaysia Airlines jet.

Obama said the United States had made a "solemn commitment" to aiding the Dutch investigation into the shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine, which killed all 298 passengers and crew -- 193 of them Dutch.

Obama committed "to make sure that not only is the truth brought forward, but there`s accountability for what took place."

Kiev and the West have claimed that separatists, using a BUK surface-to-air missile supplied by Russia, were responsible, a charge denied by Moscow.

King Willem-Alexander offered his "heartfelt condolences" to Vice President Joe Biden following the death of his son, Beau, who died of brain cancer on Saturday.