Putin’s attendance at G20 could become a diplomatic and domestic challenge
Should Russian president Vladimir Putin should be allowed to attend the November G20 leaders' meeting in Brisbane?
EPA/Alexey Nikolsky
After a fortnight of bitter partisanship over carbon and
the like, the tragedy in Ukraine brought all federal politicians – still
in Canberra on Friday to deal with budget legislation – together in
shock and national unity.
Tony Abbott spoke with Bill Shorten before making his statement to
Parliament about the downing of the Malaysian Airlines plane by a
missile. In the House, Shorten pledged to support whatever actions the
government takes in the days ahead.
For Australia, the attack has consequences beyond the immediate and
horrific deaths of 28 of its people. It opens the potentially complex
issue of whether Russian president Vladimir Putin should be allowed to
attend the November G20 leaders' meeting in Brisbane.
With the Russians so far not only being difficult but (when Foreign
Minister Julie Bishop met ambassador Vladimir Morozov) trying to blame
Ukraine, Abbott left in the air the matter of Putin’s G20 presence.
Asked whether the president would still be welcome if he didn’t help
with the investigation, Abbott said this was a “very, very fair
question”.
“I don’t want to pre-empt what might happen in the weeks and months
ahead,” he told a late afternoon news conference in his Prime
Ministerial courtyard. “I just want to say that it is absolutely
imperative, if Russia is to maintain any international standing at all,
that there be complete Russian co-operation.”
Putin’s attendance has arisen before. Responding to Russia’s move
earlier this year to annex Crimea from Ukraine, Bishop left open the
option of Putin being excluded from the G20 meeting.
There was a quick bite back from the BRICS countries – Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa. Their foreign ministers warned:
“The custodianship of the G20 belongs to all member-states equally and
no one member-state can unilaterally determine its nature and
character.”
Putin has already been booted from one major international summit
recently. He was due to host the G8 meeting last month but that wasn’t
acceptable to other countries. The United States, Britain, France,
Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan instead gathered in Brussels without
him. He was reported as spitting out a line to Kremlin reporters: “I
would like to wish them bon appetit”.
The facts of what happened with Malaysian Airlines MH17 are still to
be clarified, beyond that the missile was apparently fired by
Russian-backed rebels. As has been observed widely, a missile capable of
felling a big plane at such altitude wasn’t made by locals. Abbott said
the missile was “quite possibly, maybe probably” Russian supplied;
Morozov adamantly denied this to Bishop.
Even if Russia was not directly involved in the attack, it is deeply implicated if its weaponry was used.
Flagging a bipartisan stand, Shorten told Parliament that “Labor is
prepared to support the government and co-operate with the Prime
Minister … Whether or not that involves anything to do with the G20, we
say to the government, we will work with your measured approach”.
Shorten said that as Abbott had discussed with him earlier in the
morning, “it is a time for temperate responses, for cool heads and
measured action”.
Trying to exclude Putin from the G20 meeting would be both difficult
and set a precedent that might not be in the long term interest of the
grouping. The G20 is a big group, increasing the chance, once a
precedent is set, of other attempted exclusions in the future when an
issue with one or other of the countries arose.
Given the earlier stand by the BRICS countries it would be hard if
not impossible for Australia to act unilaterally. That could lead to an
international row overshadowing the occasion, and the possibility of
some countries pulling out in protest.
On the other hand, while some countries might resist sin-binning
Putin, it’s also possible others might press for it, with Australia
caught in the middle.
Asked whether it would be a decision for Australia or the wider
group, Abbott said that Australia would be reluctant to act unilaterally
because the G20 was a very important international gathering.
“Nevertheless it is also very important that Australia act with the
strength and self-respect that you would expect of a country of our
standing.”
Mike Callaghan, program director of the G20 studies centre at the
Lowy Institute, believes any decision to exclude Russia should be taken
by the full G20 membership, not just Australia. He points out that the
G20 is an economic grouping, not a political or security one, and having
Putin present in Brisbane “would provide an opportunity for dialogue”
at the margin of the meeting.
For Abbott it could become a delicate mix of diplomatic and domestic
politics. If Russia takes a defiant and uncooperative stance there would
be a lot of pressure on the Prime Minister to seek diplomatic
retaliation for the Australian deaths.
the like, the tragedy in Ukraine brought all federal politicians – still
in Canberra on Friday to deal with budget legislation – together in
shock and national unity.
Tony Abbott spoke with Bill Shorten before making his statement to
Parliament about the downing of the Malaysian Airlines plane by a
missile. In the House, Shorten pledged to support whatever actions the
government takes in the days ahead.
For Australia, the attack has consequences beyond the immediate and
horrific deaths of 28 of its people. It opens the potentially complex
issue of whether Russian president Vladimir Putin should be allowed to
attend the November G20 leaders' meeting in Brisbane.
With the Russians so far not only being difficult but (when Foreign
Minister Julie Bishop met ambassador Vladimir Morozov) trying to blame
Ukraine, Abbott left in the air the matter of Putin’s G20 presence.
Asked whether the president would still be welcome if he didn’t help
with the investigation, Abbott said this was a “very, very fair
question”.
“I don’t want to pre-empt what might happen in the weeks and months
ahead,” he told a late afternoon news conference in his Prime
Ministerial courtyard. “I just want to say that it is absolutely
imperative, if Russia is to maintain any international standing at all,
that there be complete Russian co-operation.”
Putin’s attendance has arisen before. Responding to Russia’s move
earlier this year to annex Crimea from Ukraine, Bishop left open the
option of Putin being excluded from the G20 meeting.
There was a quick bite back from the BRICS countries – Brazil,
Russia, India, China and South Africa. Their foreign ministers warned:
“The custodianship of the G20 belongs to all member-states equally and
no one member-state can unilaterally determine its nature and
character.”
Putin has already been booted from one major international summit
recently. He was due to host the G8 meeting last month but that wasn’t
acceptable to other countries. The United States, Britain, France,
Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan instead gathered in Brussels without
him. He was reported as spitting out a line to Kremlin reporters: “I
would like to wish them bon appetit”.
The facts of what happened with Malaysian Airlines MH17 are still to
be clarified, beyond that the missile was apparently fired by
Russian-backed rebels. As has been observed widely, a missile capable of
felling a big plane at such altitude wasn’t made by locals. Abbott said
the missile was “quite possibly, maybe probably” Russian supplied;
Morozov adamantly denied this to Bishop.
Even if Russia was not directly involved in the attack, it is deeply implicated if its weaponry was used.
Flagging a bipartisan stand, Shorten told Parliament that “Labor is
prepared to support the government and co-operate with the Prime
Minister … Whether or not that involves anything to do with the G20, we
say to the government, we will work with your measured approach”.
Shorten said that as Abbott had discussed with him earlier in the
morning, “it is a time for temperate responses, for cool heads and
measured action”.
Trying to exclude Putin from the G20 meeting would be both difficult
and set a precedent that might not be in the long term interest of the
grouping. The G20 is a big group, increasing the chance, once a
precedent is set, of other attempted exclusions in the future when an
issue with one or other of the countries arose.
Given the earlier stand by the BRICS countries it would be hard if
not impossible for Australia to act unilaterally. That could lead to an
international row overshadowing the occasion, and the possibility of
some countries pulling out in protest.
On the other hand, while some countries might resist sin-binning
Putin, it’s also possible others might press for it, with Australia
caught in the middle.
Asked whether it would be a decision for Australia or the wider
group, Abbott said that Australia would be reluctant to act unilaterally
because the G20 was a very important international gathering.
“Nevertheless it is also very important that Australia act with the
strength and self-respect that you would expect of a country of our
standing.”
Mike Callaghan, program director of the G20 studies centre at the
Lowy Institute, believes any decision to exclude Russia should be taken
by the full G20 membership, not just Australia. He points out that the
G20 is an economic grouping, not a political or security one, and having
Putin present in Brisbane “would provide an opportunity for dialogue”
at the margin of the meeting.
For Abbott it could become a delicate mix of diplomatic and domestic
politics. If Russia takes a defiant and uncooperative stance there would
be a lot of pressure on the Prime Minister to seek diplomatic
retaliation for the Australian deaths.
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