DHAKA: Moscow has thrown down the gauntlet to Australian prime minister Tony Abbott after he threatened to ‘shirtfront’ Russian president Vladimir Putin at the Group of 20 summit next month over the loss of Australian lives in the MH17 plane crash.

Abbott ramped up the rhetoric against Moscow this week by warning he would tackle Putin on the issue at the meeting in Brisbane, using the Australian Rules Football sporting term in which a player charges an opponent.

But Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev laughed off the threat, saying that judo black-belt Putin was unlikely to be scared of encountering the Australian leader.

‘If he likes to use sport terms, let him go ahead. Mr Putin is quite adept at sports and they could have a forceful debate,’ Medvedev joked in an interview with American channel CNBC aired on Wednesday.

‘That said, serious politicians should chose their words carefully.’

Relations between Moscow and Canberra have hit rock bottom since a Malaysia Airlines passenger was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July, killing all 298 people on board - including 38 Australian citizens or residents.

Australia - along with the United States - accuses Russian-backed rebels of shooting down flight MH17 using a missile supplied by Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly denied the claim and pointed the finger at Kiev, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1755 HRS, OCT 15, 2014