Tony Abbott calls Russia a bully as he steps up criticisms over Ukraine

TONY Abbott has sharpened his criticism of Vladimir Putin to support a blistering attack on the Russian president by Canada’s PM.

Tony Abbott talks to reporters at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

TONY Abbott has sharpened his criticism of Vladimir Putin to support a blistering attack on the Russian president, amid growing concern over Moscow’s incursions into the Ukraine.

Hours after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called Mr Putin an “extreme nationalist” and imperialist, Mr Abbott backed the criticism and expressed concerns of his own about the “affront” to international stability from Russia’s actions.

Mr Abbott made the remarks in the Canadian capital a few hours after he had arrived from France, where he held talks with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on international security.

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While European countries have been reluctant to cause an outright breach with Russia, the Canadian government has taken a hard line against the incursions into Crimea and the eastern provinces of the Ukraine.

Mr Abbott said Russia was trying to “bully” its neighbours.

“It’s bitten off the Crimea and it’s obviously interfering in Ukraine and this should stop, this should stop.

“No country has a right to bully another country just because it can.”

While G7 nations barred Mr Putin from their recent summit, the Russian leader remains invited to the G20 in Australia this year. This may change, subject to Russia’s behaviour.

Mr Abbott and Mr Harper attended D-Day commemorations on Friday with 15 other leaders including Mr Putin and US President Barack Obama.

While other leaders spoke to Mr Putin during the D-Day commemorations in Normandy on Friday, Mr Harper and Mr Abbott did not.

Instead, Ms Merkel conducted a form of shuttle diplomacy by speaking to both Mr Putin and the new Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko.

“We’re not afraid to take stands that then put us off-side others, from time to time,” Mr Harper told Canadian TV show The West Block, in an interview filmed on the Normandy beach where Canadian troops landed on D-Day in 1944.

Mr Harper said one of the lessons of the World War II generation was “not to turn a blind eye” to potential threats. Much of the suffering of the war could have been avoided if leaders had been aware of the threat posed by Adolf Hitler, he added.

In the new Canadian interview, Mr Harper describes Mr Putin as an “extreme nationalist” and an “imperialist” who threatened stability.

“This is an individual who clearly believes that if he’s able, he has the right and ability to invade another country, to alter borders through military force,” Mr Harper said.

“This is a major power threatening global peace and security in this way and I don’t think it’s to be taken lightly.”

Asked about those remarks, Mr Abbott offered words of support for Mr Harper, who he has described as a “like-minded” leader.

“They’re very forthright remarks and I think that they’re perfectly appropriate remarks for the Canadian Prime Minister to make.

“Canada probably has more involvement in the affairs of Europe than Australia often does but nevertheless, let’s not minimise the affront to international stability and the affront to the ordinary norms of behaviour between nations which Russia has been responsible for.”