Up close and personal ... Prime Minister Tony Abbott shaking hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during the G20 Summit in Brisbane. Pic: AFP PHOTO/William West Source: AFP

The now famous phrase — which the Prime Minister used against the Russian President — has been named Australia’s word of the year by The Australian National Dictionary Centre.

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When this morning asked for his reaction, Mr Abbott insisted he was using the “Sydney” meaning — not the AFL term.

“It was colourful language,” he admitted to ABC Radio.

“It seems to have resonated around the world and I guess that’s a good thing because it let people know that Australia regards the downing of flight MH17 as an atrocity and we want Russia to assist.

“We do think at least at the lower levels there has been Russian complicity in this.”

Warm and cuddly ... Tony Abbott Russian President Vladimir Putin hold koalas on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Brisbane. Pic: AP Photo/Andrew Taylor Source: AP

The Prime Minister’s comments came ahead of today’s meeting with the Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in Melbourne.

Mr Abbott admitted the conflict in his country is a “long way away and there is not a lot we can or should do to get involved in a European war”.

“But nevertheless our moral sympathies have got to be with a small country trying to be free in the face of aggression from a larger bully and that’s the moral principle.”

There is no doubt that Russia is “actively encouraging the rebellion in the Ukraine,” Mr Abbott said.

The Prime Minister’s “shirtfront” phrase earned him international attention, with visiting UK PM David Cameron and Indian PM Narendra Modi both referring to it in addresses to federal Parliament last month.

Far from shirt fronting President Putin, Mr Abbott held sideline talks with him at APEC and then was snapped cuddling a koala with the Russian leader at the G20 in Brisbane.

Visiting Australia ... Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko is in Melbourne today.  Source: AFP

When asked whether Australia is taking sides in a European war - between Ukraine and Russia - Mr Abbott said we take the side of “freedom, democracy and self-determination”.

“I say to President Putin, who obviously I’ve got to know reasonably well over the last few months, that this is an opportunity for him to be a statesman as well as a patriot,” the Prime Minister said.

Mr Abbott noted all of the 38 Australian victims of the MH17 downing have been positively identified.

“Arrangements are in place for the final repatriations to be made,” he said.