G20 Meeting Brisbane: Russia Sends Warships To Australia

Days after the leaders of Russia and Australia met in Beijing for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting, the armed forces of President Vladimir Putin has sent out a fleet of warships towards Australia. After Prime Minister Tony Abbott retracted on shirt-collaring Mr Putin, Russia now, it seemed, is the one displaying its muscle over the 2014 G20 Meeting host country.

This year's G20 Summit will be held from Nov. 15 to 16. Amid tightened measures to ensure the security of the G20 leaders while in Brisbane, the Australian Defence Force revealed on Wednesday that Russian naval vessels have been monitored "currently transiting through international waters to the north of Australia." The warships are believed to be near Bougainville in Papua New Guinea in the Coral Sea. Defence, however, would not reveal the exact number. Reports flaunted the fleet consisted of four warships.

Australia had dispatched a P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft and the Anzac-class frigate HMAS Stuart, according to Seven News, to monitor the four Russian ships. Despite the seeming frenzied reaction, ADF said in a statement the Russian vessels' movement was "entirely consistent with provisions under international law for military vessels to exercise freedom of navigation in international waters."

ADF cited the Apec meeting in Singapore in 2009 and former Russian president Medvedev's visit to San Francisco in 2010 where Russian naval vessels were deployed in conjunction with major international summits, as well as to accompany its present leader. Air Chief Marshal Binskin said not all four vessels were warships. The other two were just an ocean-going tug and an oiler.

SMH said Russia's TASS news agency as early as late October had reported the presence of the battle group. Leaving Vladivostok on Oct. 23, the fleet is composed of the "Varyag" cruiser, the "Marshal Shaposhnikov" destroyer, a salvage and rescue tug, and a replenishment oiler. TASS did say however that the cruiser is capable of carrying nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.

Mr Abbott had earlier said that Mr Putin will no longer be invited to the G20 meeting, days after the ill-fated aviation accident of Malaysia Airlines MH17 occurred over eastern Ukraine. But because it is not Australia's discretion to deny attendance rights to members of the G20, Mr Putin will be among world leaders attending the summit in Brisbane on Saturday and Sunday.

At the sidelines of the APEC on Tuesday, Mr Abbott met with Mr Putin and tried to talk to the latter to issue an apology over the downing of MH17. The Russian leader likewise dismissed Australia's call for compensation, saying such actions and decisions are premature and "invalid." The global community strongly believed it was Russia's fault that MH17 perished in July.