British Prime Minister David Cameron and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott attend at a joint news conference at Parliament House in Canberra
IN PHOTO: British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott attend at a joint news conference at Parliament House in Canberra November 14, 2014. Reuters/Alan Porritt

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott claimed that he had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin not to try to "recreate the lost glories." Abbott was referring to his recent meeting with Putin during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on Tuesday.

Mr Abbott ran into controversy when he said that he would "shirtfront" the Russian president over the MH17 tragedy. He claimed that he would act tough with Putin. However, he was also criticised, especially in Australian media, when he opted for a more diplomatic approach with Putin. Many thought that the Australian PM did not live up to the expectation of confronting Putin. However, Mr Abbott revealed in a press conference today that he did spoke "tough" against Putin during their meeting.

Mr Abbott said that he had asked Putin not to give preference to the resurrection of Russia's "lost glories." He said that peace would be a much better option for Putin to make an impression. "One of the points I tried to make to Putin is that Russia would be so much more attractive if it was aspiring to be a superpower for peace and freedom and prosperity," ABC News quoted Mr Abbott, "If it was trying to be a superpower for ideas and for values, instead of trying to recreate the lost glories of tsar-ism or the old Soviet Union."

Business Week reported that Mr Abbott called it a "regrettable pattern" on Russia's part. According to him, Russia is "much more assertive" at present than it was earlier. He said that the pattern was apparent when Russia had increased its military aircraft in the airspace of Europe and Japan. It was also apparent by Russia's "bullying of Ukraine." The Australian PM also talked about Russia's naval task group which was in the South Pacific. Mr Abbott indicated that Russia's assertiveness was inversely proportionate to its economy. He said that the Russia's economy is declining, while Russia's assertiveness is increasing.

Greens leader Christine Milne, on the other hand, said that Mr Abbott had mishandled the diplomacy. She said that the Australian PM had tried playing the international stage for "crass domestic political purposes." Mr Abbott's comment on "shirtfronting" Putin was a "complete overreach" while he was "quiet as a lamb" during their meeting, she said.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au