David Cameron has fired a diplomatic warning shot at Russian president Vladimir Putin, telling him the west’s relations with Russia had reached a crossroads and demanding that he relent by allowing independent observers to monitor events on its Ukrainian border.
As other western leaders also reinforced messages to Putin that he risked more economic sanctions if he failed to end Russian backing for separatist rebels in Ukraine, Downing Street sources said a 50-minute meeting on Saturday between Cameron and Putin on the margins of the G20 summit in Brisbane had involved robust exchanges...
Throughout Saturday Putin endured bruising encounters with European leaders including German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president François Hollande...
It now seems likely that the number of Russian individuals subject to asset freezes and travel bans will be increased, probably at a meeting for EU foreign ministers on Monday. New names are likely to be individuals elected in the illegal elections in Donetsk last month.
...
There were even suggestions at the G20 – denied later by the Kremlin – that Putin would leave the summit early. A source in his delegation told Reuters that the Russian president would depart before it ended, skipping a working breakfast on Sunday, because he needed to return to meetings in Moscow.
...
Cameron said before the meeting: “If the current path continues and if the destabilisation continues to get worse, the rest of the world – Europe, America, Britain – will have no choice but to take further action in terms of sanctions.”
EU members states are due to meet Obama on Sunday to decide on any further action. Merkel told reporters the situation was unsatisfactory.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/15/david-cameron-vladimir-putin-relations-crossroads-ukraine