The international community must sanction an "aggressive" and "dishonest" President Vladimir Putin over Russia's incursion into Ukraine, Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek says.
The European Union is threatening Russia with a new round of sanctions, amid fears the confrontation could engulf the whole continent.
According to NATO, Russia has sent at least 1000 troops into the Ukraine to fight alongside insurgents, and has massed 20,000 troops near the border.
Ms Plibersek said Russia was taking advantage of the United States being pre-occupied with Iraq.
"It does deserve international attention and sanction of President Putin, who I think is not only behaving aggressively, he is being dishonest to boot," she told ABC television on Sunday.
"I think it's very important that the international community show President Putin there are consequences to this sort of aggressive behaviour."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott last week likened the incursion to an invasion of the Ukraine, and again raised the prospect of excluding President Putin from the G20 talks in Brisbane.
Share
