Russia's President Vladimir Putin intends to leave the ongoing Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Australia earlier than scheduled, according to people familiar with his plans, as some leaders at the summit demanded Russia stop arming rebels in Ukraine.
Putin plans to skip an official lunch on Sunday and bring forward his news conference before leaving Brisbane, two people said on condition of anonymity because the travel plans are private. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said by phone he couldn't rule out an early departure for the President if the working part of the G-20 agenda was over because he has meetings "on Monday in Moscow and the flight is very long."
The Ukraine crisis has overshadowed the G-20 summit, where European leaders on Saturday called on Russia to stop supplying separatists in the country and warned of possible further sanctions. The Russian leader got a blunt message when he approached Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a handshake at the meeting.
Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March, has repeatedly denied that it is sending its armed forces into Ukraine or aiding the separatists. "There is no aggression" on Russia's part, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday in Brisbane. "There are many turbulent moments in the world today," Putin said on Friday to French President Francois Hollande.
"In some issues we have different positions. All the more it is useful to meet and talk about all these issues and I think to do everything to minimize risks."
The Ukraine crisis is the st standoff between Russia and its former Cold War foes since the Iron Curtain fell 25 years ago.
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and Putin had a robust exchange during one-on-one talks that lasted 50 minutes, a U.K. official said, asking not to be identified because they aren't authorized to speak publicly.
Cameron made clear there was a fork in the road and Russia should honor the Sept. 5 truce signed in Minsk or face further sanctions, the official said. The British prime minister earlier told Sky News that Russian warships that sailed toward northern Australia ahead of the G-20 meeting were symbols of "international machismo." G-20 host Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused Russia of supplying the weapons used to shoot down Malaysian Airline System Bhd. Flight 17 over Ukraine in July.
As Abbott addressed leaders today, Putin was seated at the other end of the room. That's a far cry from his central position at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing this week, where he and President Barack Obama flanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
While Abbott posed for pictures with Obama, Xi, Cameron and Harper at a barbecue lunch today, Putin sat with Brazil's Dilma Vana Rousseff across the other side of a table for six.
When the leaders later walked one-by-one into the Brisbane venue for an official summit welcome from Abbott, Putin was toward the end of the line. As they shook hands Abbott clasped Putin on the shoulder and the two smiled and chatted briefly as they posed for photographs.
Merkel Talks
Obama called Russian "aggression" in Ukraine a threat to global security and in a speech at the University of Queensland said the shooting down of the Malaysian airliner over Ukraine had appalled the world.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will meet alone with Putin later today, told reporters the situation in Ukraine "is not satisfactory." European foreign ministers meeting Nov. 17 in Brussels will discuss expanding the list of individuals targeted as part of sanctions on Russia, she said.
"We will continue to use all diplomatic tools, including sanctions, at our disposal" to end the crisis, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy told reporters in Brisbane today. "Russia must stop the inflow of weapons and troops," he said.
When the Russian leader arrived at his Brisbane hotel late yesterday in a motorcade that stretched to about 20 vehicles, there was a crowd of about 200 people outside and a large police presence. The crowd mostly cheered as his car pulled in, and many people were taking pictures of themselves in front of the hotel.
Josef Stalin
About 30 men of Russian and Serbian origin marched outside the G-20 summit site today carrying placards that read: "Putin, our president and emperor." To the tune of World War II songs blaring from a stereo, they held aloft flags from the Slavic nations, and oversized portraits of Putin similar to those of former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
As military helicopters buzzed over the city and the temperature soared to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), another group rallied against the Russian president. One held a photo-shopped image portraying Putin as Doctor Evil from the Austin Powers movies, while others carried placards that read "Putin Not Welcome in Oz" and "Russian Troops Get Out of Ukraine." --With assistance from Michael Heath, Patrick Donahue, Thomas Penny and Iain McDonald in Brisbane.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ilya Arkhipov in Brisbane at iarkhipov@bloomberg.net;
Jason Scott in Brisbane at jscott14@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rosalind Mathieson at rmathieson3@bloomberg.net
Edward Johnson11-15-14 0624EST<
Putin plans to skip an official lunch on Sunday and bring forward his news conference before leaving Brisbane, two people said on condition of anonymity because the travel plans are private. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said by phone he couldn't rule out an early departure for the President if the working part of the G-20 agenda was over because he has meetings "on Monday in Moscow and the flight is very long."
The Ukraine crisis has overshadowed the G-20 summit, where European leaders on Saturday called on Russia to stop supplying separatists in the country and warned of possible further sanctions. The Russian leader got a blunt message when he approached Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a handshake at the meeting.
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"I guess I'll shake your hand but I have only one thing to say to you: you need to get out of Ukraine," Harper told Putin, the prime minister's spokesman Jason MacDonald said in an e- mail. Putin told Harper, that would be impossible because Russian troops are not there, Peskov said.
Russia, which annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March, has repeatedly denied that it is sending its armed forces into Ukraine or aiding the separatists. "There is no aggression" on Russia's part, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday in Brisbane. "There are many turbulent moments in the world today," Putin said on Friday to French President Francois Hollande.
"In some issues we have different positions. All the more it is useful to meet and talk about all these issues and I think to do everything to minimize risks."
The Ukraine crisis is the st standoff between Russia and its former Cold War foes since the Iron Curtain fell 25 years ago.
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and Putin had a robust exchange during one-on-one talks that lasted 50 minutes, a U.K. official said, asking not to be identified because they aren't authorized to speak publicly.
Cameron made clear there was a fork in the road and Russia should honor the Sept. 5 truce signed in Minsk or face further sanctions, the official said. The British prime minister earlier told Sky News that Russian warships that sailed toward northern Australia ahead of the G-20 meeting were symbols of "international machismo." G-20 host Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused Russia of supplying the weapons used to shoot down Malaysian Airline System Bhd. Flight 17 over Ukraine in July.
As Abbott addressed leaders today, Putin was seated at the other end of the room. That's a far cry from his central position at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing this week, where he and President Barack Obama flanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
While Abbott posed for pictures with Obama, Xi, Cameron and Harper at a barbecue lunch today, Putin sat with Brazil's Dilma Vana Rousseff across the other side of a table for six.
When the leaders later walked one-by-one into the Brisbane venue for an official summit welcome from Abbott, Putin was toward the end of the line. As they shook hands Abbott clasped Putin on the shoulder and the two smiled and chatted briefly as they posed for photographs.
Merkel Talks
Obama called Russian "aggression" in Ukraine a threat to global security and in a speech at the University of Queensland said the shooting down of the Malaysian airliner over Ukraine had appalled the world.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who will meet alone with Putin later today, told reporters the situation in Ukraine "is not satisfactory." European foreign ministers meeting Nov. 17 in Brussels will discuss expanding the list of individuals targeted as part of sanctions on Russia, she said.
"We will continue to use all diplomatic tools, including sanctions, at our disposal" to end the crisis, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy told reporters in Brisbane today. "Russia must stop the inflow of weapons and troops," he said.
When the Russian leader arrived at his Brisbane hotel late yesterday in a motorcade that stretched to about 20 vehicles, there was a crowd of about 200 people outside and a large police presence. The crowd mostly cheered as his car pulled in, and many people were taking pictures of themselves in front of the hotel.
Josef Stalin
About 30 men of Russian and Serbian origin marched outside the G-20 summit site today carrying placards that read: "Putin, our president and emperor." To the tune of World War II songs blaring from a stereo, they held aloft flags from the Slavic nations, and oversized portraits of Putin similar to those of former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
As military helicopters buzzed over the city and the temperature soared to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), another group rallied against the Russian president. One held a photo-shopped image portraying Putin as Doctor Evil from the Austin Powers movies, while others carried placards that read "Putin Not Welcome in Oz" and "Russian Troops Get Out of Ukraine." --With assistance from Michael Heath, Patrick Donahue, Thomas Penny and Iain McDonald in Brisbane.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ilya Arkhipov in Brisbane at iarkhipov@bloomberg.net;
Jason Scott in Brisbane at jscott14@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Rosalind Mathieson at rmathieson3@bloomberg.net
Edward Johnson11-15-14 0624EST<