Advertisement

Consider barring Putin from G20: Shorten

Australia should consider uninviting Russian President Vladimir Putin from the Brisbane G20 meeting over his government's "reckless and stupid" actions leading up to the MH17 disaster, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says.

Mr Shorten said he was fully supportive of the Australian government's strong stance over the apparent downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

"For an outside nation to have supplied these Ukrainian rebels with this weaponry of war and murder is a very, very reckless and stupid act," he told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday.

"It is in the interests of resolving what has happened that all of the great powers, including the Russian Federation, support what was said at the United Nations Security Council last night."

The council called for a thorough investigation of the crash.

Mr Shorten said the Australian government should consider barring Mr Putin from the upcoming G20 meeting in Brisbane if the country did not support the investigation.

"If the Russian Federation will not co-operate to help resolve and get to the heart of what has happened here, I don't think Australians would welcome them coming to the G20," he said.