PRESIDENT Putin claims to be an interested bystander in the civil war between Russian separatists and pro-Western Ukrainians in Kiev.

But the Russian annexation of Crimea revealed him to be a leader prepared to intervene regardless of international law.

No one believed Russia when it said its troops were not at work in the Crimea and no one believes it did not have a hand in the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.

Russia may not have pressed the button that fired the missile, but the rebels would surely have been unable to operate such a sophisticated piece of weaponry without Russian help.

Even its state-run television stations are tying themselves in knots trying to concoct conspiracies that put the blame on Kiev.

Meanwhile, Russia’s balaclava-wearing cronies are tampering with the crash site, removing items and bodies and preventing crash investigators from doing their jobs. Last night, the crucial black box flight recorders were said to be in Donetsk, at the self-styled People’s Republic’s headquarters, when they should have been in the hands of experts.

President Putin can put a stop to all this. But doing so may expose Russia’s role in the tragedy.

In terms of his status as a political pariah, he has little to lose by hiding behind a screen of disinformation. Worse still, it may even convince him that Russia may as well press ahead with a full-scale invasion of eastern Ukraine.

Such a thing will surely make an already volatile international situation even more dangerous.

The Malaysia Airlines disaster might just prevent this scenario if it becomes a catalyst for meaningful peace talks. Otherwise, Ukraine is doomed to a long and bloody war.

The even greater tragedy of flight MH17 will be if nothing in any way good comes of it.