Tony Abbott will ‘give Vladimir Putin no quarter’

TONY Abbott will “shirt-front’’ Vladimir Putin to demand he co-operate with the criminal investigation into the downing of Malaysia Flight MH17.

Tony Abbott has vowed to confront Vladimir Putin over the tragedy of Malaysia Flight MH17.

TONY Abbott will use the presence of Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Brisbane to “shirt-front’’ the Russian President to demand he co-operate with the criminal investigation into the downing of Malaysia Flight MH17.

In some of the toughest language he has used in office, the Prime Minister vowed to confront Mr Putin over the airline tragedy when Australia hosted the world economic gathering next month.

“Look, I’m going to shirt-front Mr Putin, you bet I am,’’ he said.

“I’m going to be saying to Mr Putin Australians were murdered and they were murdered by ­Russian-backed rebels using ­Russian-supplied equipment. We are very unhappy about this.’’

Mr Abbott’s promise to muscle up during bilateral talks with Mr Putin came in response to Bill Shorten’s comments that the Russian President was “rubbing our faces in it’’ and should have enough of a conscience to bypass the Brisbane event.

The Opposition Leader said he would not give Mr Putin the time of day and would not seek a meeting with him.

But Australia will use any face-to-face meeting to again demand Russia fully co-operates with the investigation into the downing of the flight, Mr Abbott said, adding “if the criminal investigation identifies suspects that you have some influence over, they’ve got to be produced and justice has got to be done’’.

It would be the “toughest conversation’’ he would have at the G20.

Flight MH17 was shot down in July over eastern Ukraine, claiming the lives of 298 people including 38 Australian citizens or residents.

On Sunday, Joe Hockey confirmed Mr Putin planned to attend the summit.

The Treasurer said it was the strong view of US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other G20 leaders, that Mr Putin should be included.

Mr Shorten accused Mr Putin of knowing more about the downing of MH17 in July than he was letting on, and indicated he believed the Abbott government should have pressed the inter­national community harder to ban him.

“When you deal with inter­national bullies, the way you do it isn’t by laying out the red carpet,’’ Mr Shorten said in North Sunshine in Melbourne’s west.

“The government was talking tough — they haven’t proven to be able to do anything to stop him or discourage him coming.’’

Speaking from Moranbah in central Queensland, Mr Abbott expressed disappointment that Mr Shorten was playing politics.

He pointed out that any decision of the G20 was done by consensus and the consensus was that Russia should attend.

“I want the G20 to continue. I want Australia to be a constructive and strong member of the G20. I don’t want to be a G20 wrecker,’’ Mr Abbott said.

An opinion piece by columnist Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey in the English language version of Russian newspaper Pravda said Mr Abbott showed “insolence, arrogance and incompetence”.

He said Mr Putin should “wash his hands carefully and sterilise them after shaking the paw offered to him by Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the forthcoming G20 Summit”.