The key to that is unified front with the EU. They have yet to take a firm stand against Russia so far. Will this be enough to get them off the fence? Time will tell.
I would not be surprised if there are behind the scenes meetings by all those involved to come up with a way to move past this “unfortunate” event. One thing is clear and the US Assessment is correct: the Russians have been giving heavy weaponry to the rebels along with special forces and officers for such use and applications of weapons. They aren’t even really hiding it. Putin probably wishes the civilian aircraft wasn’t taken down, because it is counter to their slow bleed strategy as there is a disconnect between what Russia says and what they do.
No chance. Governments of major EU countries are full of Russian agents of influence and people blackmailed by KGB, which these days is more active abroad than during the cold war and the west is a real sitting duck in this area. Merkel herself comes from East Germany, being a university employee she must have had some contacts with Stasi and Stasi files ended up in Moscow. Even If her “contacts” were rather meaningless, these documents would destroy her career.