There is word today that Vladimir Putin plans to leave the G20 economic summit early.Russia's president got a barrage of criticism from Western leaders in Australia over his country's involvement in Ukraine.Russia denies any military activity in eastern Ukraine,but NATO says that Russian weapons and troops are crossing the border in ever-growing numbers.NPR's Corey Flintoff joins us from Moscow. Corey, thanks for being with us.Good morning, Scott.What do we know about what happened with Mr. Putin in Australia?Well, things got off to a bad start when Russia deployed four of its warships off the Australian coast at the same time Putin made his visit.These ships were in international watersbut Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott treated the move is more saber rattling on Russia's part.He even made a kind of diplomatic statement by sending a lower-level defense official to meet Putin at the airport.Many of the other Western leaders gave Putin a very chilly welcome.German Chancellor Angela Merkel is talking about new European Union sanctions on Russians in Putin's inner circle.Stephen Harper the Canadian prime minister reportedly told Putin,I guess I'll shake your hand, but I have only one thing to say to you ― you need to get out of Ukraine.And what can we say definitively about the situation on the ground there?Certainly the cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine negotiated back in September seems to be a thing of the past.
