'Step too far': Scott Morrison uneasy about Vladimir Putin attending G20 meeting in Jakarta after Ukraine invasion

Despite Moscow's ostracisation over its invasion of Ukraine, the Russian President intends to attend a November meeting of the Group of Twenty leaders in Jakarta.

A host of G20 powers - including the US, Australia, and the European Union - have slapped biting sanctions on Moscow and Mr Putin's inner circle, and are considering booting Russia from the group entirely.

After the US formally accused Russia of war crimes, Mr Morrison revealed Canberra has been "raising concerns" over the autocrat's presence.

"This is a violent and aggressive act that shatters the international rule of law, and the idea of sitting around the table with Vladimir Putin ... for me is a step too far," he said on Thursday.

But with close Australian ally Indonesia set to play host, Mr Morrison did not answer directly when pressed on whether he would boycott an event attended by Mr Putin.

"We want to make sure that the G20 for Indonesia is successful," he said.

"I would be disappointed if ... the real purposes of [the G20] were not able to be achieved, so I think we need to have people in the room that aren't invading other countries."

Australia's resolve will not be tested at a meeting of G20 finance ministers in April, when the federal government will be in caretaker mode before the election.

But any move to evict Russia would be fraught, given member states - including China and India, both with ties to Mr Putin - hold veto power.

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Beijing has already flagged its opposition, describing the G20 as the "main forum" for international economic cooperation.

"Russia is an important member, and no member has the right to expel another country," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

Indonesia has so far not commented on calls for Moscow's exclusion, with Russia's ambassador in Jakarta urging President Joko Widodo to resist "horrible pressure" from the west.

Mr Putin - who has launched bloody campaigns in Chechnya, Georgia and Syria - claimed the invasion was an attempt to "de-nazify" Ukraine.

But Mr Morrison said the 2017 downing of passenger plane MH-17 in Russian-separatist controlled Donbass, killing 38 Australians, meant Australia was particularly aware of the Kremlin's brutality.

Moscow has denied involvement in the attack.

"Russia has form. I'm not shocked by the report. I'm not shocked by their arrogance in what they're seeking to impose on Ukraine," Mr Morrison said.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who could be prime minister by November, said Australia should work in unison with its allies as they weighed the approach to the G20 summit.

"We should act as one [with] those countries around the world who find the actions of Putin abhorrent," he said.