UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia’s U.N. envoy says his nation backs a resolution calling for an international investigation of the Malaysian plane downed in eastern Ukraine.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin’s comments Monday ahead of a Security Council virtually assured the resolution would pass.

Diplomats had pressured a reluctant Russia to approve the Australia-proposed resolution that demands international access to the Ukraine plane crash site and a cease-fire around the area.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said as she walked into the meeting: “What we hope will happen today is having this resolution adopted unanimously.”

Of the 298 people aboard the Malaysia Airlines plane when it went down, 37 were Australian and 193 were Dutch.

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