Australian Associated Press
theguardian.com, Wednesday 15 October 2014
Russian paper launches colourful broadside at Australian PM, saying he runs the risk of getting his ‘teeth smashed in’
Pravda says Tony Abbott has picked the wrong person to ‘bully’. Photograph: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images
Pravda has described Tony Abbott as “a disturbed mind crying out for therapy”: after his threat to “shirtfront” the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Brisbane.
Abbott grabbed global headlines for his tough talk ahead of the Russian leader’s expected attendance at the G20 meeting next month.
He modified his rhetoric on Tuesday but insisted he would hold robust talks with Putin over the “murder” of 38 Australians when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine.
In an open letter, published on Pravda, the mouthpiece of the Communist regime in Soviet times, columnist Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey demanded Abbott pull his head in.
“Like any bully there comes a day when you pick on the wrong person, get your teeth smashed in and go running home to mummy blabbering like a ninny,” he wrote.
The threat was the “most crass example of stupidity the world has seen since the USA, the UK and Australia murdered Iraqi civilians in an illegal and criminal series of war crimes”.
“If you seriously think you can physically confront your guests and assault a visiting head of state and walk away freely, then you are mistaken,” he wrote.
He said Abbott had rendered himself liable for prosecution for criminal intent and incitement to violence.
Bancroft-Hinchey warned the Australian leader should not pre-empt the MH17 investigation.
“Wait for the inquiry before making your odious accusations and sounding like a foul-mouthed, despicable, pith-headed and uncouth, loutish oaf,” he said.
Pravda has often reflected Putin’s views, but also sometimes opposed him.
In London, Joe Hockey defended Abbott’s comments, saying they reflected the depth of “anger and understandable emotion” in Australia.
“There is a deep-seated anger across the Australian community about what happened to the 38 poor souls, who were Australians, that died on the Malaysia plane in Ukraine, but also to help to find ways to get justice for the families that lost loved ones,” the treasurer said on Tuesday.
Hockey said he expected talks at the G20 to include the issue of the economic sanctions that Western nations, including Australia, had placed on Russia in the wake of the MH17 crash.
“There is no doubt that sanctions are having an impact both ways,” he said.
“Russian sanctions are having an impact on Europe and European, American and Australian sanctions are having an impact on Russia.
“So if there is a way through the challenge in Ukraine then hopefully that can be identified either before Brisbane or at Brisbane.”
This article was amended on 15 October to better reflect Pravda’s relationship to the Russian government
