After catching resplendent, semi-nude horse-rider and bear-wrestler Vladimir Putin in a rare, fully-clothed moment, Tony Abbot has come good on his promise to “shirtfront” the Russian head of state at the APEC summit … sort of.
After being denied a face-to-face meeting, and made to participate in a stunningly awkward photo-op, Abbott managed to confront the Russian president on the sidelines, demanding an apology and possible restitution for Russia’s role in the downing of flight MH17.
Sadly, at no time did he charge into Putin at full steam, so we were denied that visual, but he nonetheless had a 15-minute session, during which some heated words were exchanged.
Laying a guilt trip, he pointed out an incident in which the US had “inadvertently shot down an airliner”, after which it had “apologised and paid financial compensation.”
Abbott also reportedly told Putin that Australia is “in possession of information suggesting that MH17 was destroyed by a missile launcher that had come out of Russia” as it flew over Ukraine.
After the meeting, Putin may or may not have turned to an aide and whispered “who was that?”
Image via AFP / Getty Images
