Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned back the clock to the 1930s by using an updated form of “gunboat diplomacy” to ridicule and humiliate Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott in a major international diplomatic insult. Abbott threatened to “shirtfront” Putin, or use physical violence, over what Abbott perceived as Russia’s role over the rocket destruction in July of Malaysian Airlines’ MH17, which took the lives of all 283 passengers including 38 Australians and 15 crew.