Putin plans to leave G20 early after West blasts Russia
Vladimir Putin is quitting a Group of 20 summit early after facing heavy criticism over what Western forces say are Russian combat troops entering Ukraine.
The reception for Mr. Putin in Brisbane included sharp rebukes from Stephen Harper and Barack Obama.
The Canadian Prime Minister told Mr. Putin flatly that he needs "to get out of Ukraine," when the two met on Saturday during the summit.
A spokesman for the Canadian Prime Minister relayed the details of the encounter and, according to director of communications Jason MacDonald, "Mr. Putin did not respond positively."
Russian officials later said Mr. Putin's reply to Mr. Harper was "That's impossible because we are not there."
The Russian official told Reuters that Mr. Putin planned to skip a working session on Sunday at the two-day summit in Brisbane and bring forward his departure because he needed to attend meetings in Moscow.
...
Mr. Obama, speaking at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, said Moscow’s behaviour is dangerous.
“We're opposing Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which is a threat to the world, as we saw in the appalling shoot-down of MH17” the President said, a reference to the downing of Malaysian Airlines jet in Ukraine this past July.
The European Council, which represents the heads of government and state in the European Union, called on Russia to end the aggression.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy demanded Moscow “stop the inflow of weapons and troops from its territory into Ukraine” and “withdraw those already present."
Europe's foreign ministers are set to meet Monday to determine whether further sanctions are now necessary.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, perhaps the European leader with the best relationship with Mr. Putin, said the EU was now weighing further punitive measures against Russia over the latest crisis in Ukraine. This could include adding more individuals to the sanction target list.
"The present situation is not satisfying," Ms. Merkel told journalists in Brisbane. "At present the listing of further persons is on the agenda."
Mr. Putin was not accorded the normal level of attention at the summit. He was placed at the outside edge of leaders for the formal “family photograph” and only Australia’s assistant defence minister was on hand to greet him when his plane arrived in Brisbane.
Although the more exclusive Group of Seven club of nations has kicked Russia from its ranks over Crimea, there is less unified thinking in the broader G20, which includes rapidly developing countries such as Brazil, Russia, China and India.
Australia consulted G20 members on whether Russia should be excluded from the Brisbane meeting after the Crimean invasion but did not find a consensus.
The Group of 20 meeting concludes Sunday.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/putin-plans-to-leave-g20-early-after-west-blasts-russia/article21603779/
Russia's jumping the shark lately.
They're just impossible to talk to. When even a Canadian stops being nice and just gets up in your face and says "get out of Ukraine" -- when even people from Finland and Sweden are complaining about you -- when you're even on Australia's bad side -- is it not time to admit there's a problem? That it's not the rest of the whole world that is wrong, but maybe you are wrong?
So Putin just tells Harper Russia can't get out of Ukraine because Russian troops are never in Ukraine.
It's got to be infuriating, how do you respond to that, they've annexed Crimea but they say they're not in Ukraine.
It's like if somebody takes your wallet and you say "hey give me back my wallet!" and they just say "I don't have your wallet" meanwhile you see your wallet right in their hand.
Russia's just not making any friends lately, at all. (well, other than Hungary)
There was a kremlin source quoted saying France has 2 weeks to deliver those Mistral ships or else there will be "serious consequences."
And then France shot back that "they won't be dictated to."
Australian gov snubbed Putin. Nobody high level greeted him at the airport, just a lower level defense minister. And Putin was put at the far end of the family photo.