Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to discuss the issue of the downing of a Malaysian airliner in Ukraine in 2014 with visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak this week, reports Reuters.

"Should Malaysian representatives wish to discuss the topic of the Boeing, we certainly will also be ready to discuss it," the report quoted Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov as saying said today.

Najib will attend an Asean summit in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was downed over war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17 2014 by a BUK surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 on board, according to air crash investigators.

A bitter war was raging in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces when the aircraft was downed.

Western nations and Ukraine say the missile was fired from pro-Russian separatist-held territory, but Moscow denies the claim, pointing the finger instead at the Ukrainian military.