Putin charges to airport for plane home

Vladimir Putin is believed to be the first major leader to make his way out of Australia after the G20 leader's summit in Brisbane.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has left Australia for Moscow after the G20 leaders' summit, saying he needs to get home and get some sleep before going back to work.

His presidential jet took off from the special G20 airport at the Brisbane International terminal at about 3.15pm AEST on Sunday.

He's the first major leader to conclude his business at the two-day meeting hosted by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

"It will take me nine hours to Vladivostok and another nine to Moscow," Mr Putin told a foreign media press conference before leaving his Hilton hotel base in Brisbane's CBD.

"On Monday morning I have to go to work and I need four to five hours' sleep."

Mr Putin on Sunday morning held meetings with his European counterparts on the sidelines for the G20 summit.

He was also the subject of discussions at a trilateral meeting between Mr Abbott, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Barack Obama.

The trio issued a statement condemning Russia over its actions in Ukraine, where pro-Russian separatists are waging a war in the east against the western-backed government.

Mr Putin was already feeling the heat at the summit over the Ukraine issue, with European leaders flagging a possible range of fresh economic sanctions as early as this week.

Mr Abbott last week told Mr Putin Russia would be more attractive if it was aspiring to be a superpower for peace and freedom rather than "trying to recreate the lost glories of Tsarism or the old Soviet Union".

Mr Putin said Ukraine wasn't mentioned during the official sessions of the G20, but had dominated bilateral discussions with other leaders.

"We have our motives and I think that our partners were able to express their concerns to me. I think this will help us," he said.

However, Mr Putin also criticised a blockade of separatists in Ukraine by Kiev as "a big mistake".

Overnight on Saturday, Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko issued decrees withdrawing state services in pro-Russian regions and also asked the country's central bank to shut down all bank services in the region.

"What they are doing is cutting away those territories from their country," Mr Putin said.

On the G20 summit, Mr Putin praised the "constructive atmosphere".

"Some of our views do not coincide, but the discussions were complete, constructive and very helpful," he said.

Mr Putin thanked Mr Abbott for hosting the event.


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