Pressure is mounting on Tony Abbott to push for a ban on President Vladimir Putin attending the Brisbane G20 meeting after Moscow moved troops and tanks into neighbouring Ukraine.

The Prime Minister condemned Moscow in scathing terms on Friday, branding the stream of Russian soldiers and weapons into eastern Ukraine an apparent "invasion" and calling the actions "utterly unacceptable".

"It is an absolutely clear-cut case of a larger country bullying a smaller country, and this should have no place in our world.": Tony Abbott. Credit:Andrew Meares

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten called on Mr Abbott and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to talk to other G20 member nations about banning Mr Putin from attending the leaders' meeting in November.

"It is probably time for the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister to be talking to other nations ... about whether it is appropriate for Mr Putin to come to Australia," he said. "Following the tragic events of MH17, the complete lack of remorse or responsibility, the lack of full co-operation ... and now scenes of thousands of Russian soldiers flooding across the Ukrainian border, I think most Australians have grave reservations about welcoming Mr Putin to Australia."