The Shirtfront (non) Event

News.com.au 11 November 2014:

However suggestions Mr Abbott would ‘shirt-front’ the Russian President appeared to fall flat.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by the Russian state news agency, scoffed when asked if Mr Abbott delivered on his promise.

“It appears that he did not try,” Mr Peskov said….

Despite his threat to “shirt front” Mr Putin, it was the tough man Russian President who appeared to give the cold shoulder to Mr Abbott when they were seen together.

While it was hardly akin to the threatened AFL-style collision, the body language between Mr Abbott and the Russian President was far from friendly.

Mr Putin turned away from Mr Abbott and the pair barely made eye contact when they were seated next to each other at the first formal leaders meeting on the outskirts of Beijing yesterday.....