Inside Story

G20 summit: Is Putin being frozen out?

Russian president given a frosty reception in Brisbane over his Cold War-style stand-off with the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been branded a bully with imperialistic ambitions at the G20 summit in Brisbane.
 
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott accused the Russian leader of trying to recreate the lost glories of the old Soviet Union, and said he planned to “shirtfront” or physically confront Putin over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
 
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron also warned that Russia faced further sanctions if it didn’t commit to resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
 
Putin was met at Brisbane airport by Australia’s assistant defence minister, in an apparent diplomatic snub.
 
Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas, reporting from Brisbane, said Putin was “isolated” at lunch on day one of the G20 summit on Saturday, “all but ignored by other world leaders”.
 
So is Putin being frozen out – or do world leaders need him more than he needs them?
 
Presenter: Mike Hanna
 
Guests:

Remi Piet – Assistant professor of international affairs at Qatar University.
 
Pavel Felgenhauer – Foreign policy and political analyst.
 
Steve Clemons – Founder of the American Strategy Programme at the New America Foundation.