Russia's Vladimir Putin said to plan early G20 exit as Ukraine casts shadow

BRISBANE: Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to leave the Group of 20 summit in Australia earlier than scheduled, according to people familiar with his plans, as some leaders 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 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 G20 agenda was over because he has meetings “on Monday in Moscow and the flight is very long.”

The crisis in Ukraine has overshadowed the G20 summit, where European leaders called on Russia to stop supplying separatists and warned of possible further sanctions. The Russian leader got a blunt message when he approached Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a handshake. “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 PM’s spokesman Jason MacDonald said in an e- mail. Putin told Harper that would be impossible because Russian troops aren’t there, Peskov said. The Ukraine crisis is the worst standoff between Russia and its former Cold War foes since the Iron Curtain fell 25 years ago. G20 host Prime Minister Tony Abbott has accused Russia of supplying the weapons used to shoot down a Malaysian plane over Ukraine in July.