Representatives for Russian President Vladimir Putin deny he is planning on leaving the G20 summit early, despite the rebukes he has received from Western leaders over Moscow's role in the crisis in Ukraine.
The leaders of the world's 20 largest economies have gathered in the Australian city of Brisbane for the two-day summit, but discussions over the situation in Ukraine have dominated talks on the sidelines.
In a speech to students at the University of Queensland, President Barack Obama described Russia's aggression against Ukraine as "a threat to the world."
The Russian leader also received a frosty reception from Canada's prime minister, Stephen Harper.
"I'll shake your hand, but I only have one thing to say to you: you need to get out of Ukraine," Harper told him, according to the Canadian leader's spokesman.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both threatened to introduce more European Union sanctions against Russia, should Moscow continue to support the separatists in eastern Ukraine.
But the Russian leader's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, dismissed as "full nonsense" reports that Putin was planning on leaving the summit early, according to Russian state news agency Itar-Tass.
German television station ARD released excerpts of an interview it conducted with Putin and plans to air Sunday, in which the Russian leader stated his country is seeking normal relations with the West, according to Reuters.
"Of course we expect the situation to change for the better," Putin said. "Of course we expect the Ukrainian crisis to end. And of course we want to have normal relations with our partners, including in the United States and Europe.
"And of course what is happening to these so called sanctions is, first of all, harmful for the world economy, harmful both for us and for the world economy, first of all for Russia-EU relations."
Putin also denied that Russia will seek early repayment of $3 billion it leant to Ukraine last year, stating the "whole financial system will collapse" under such a move.
Itar-Tass also reported Putin met with Chancellor Merkel and the European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker to discuss Russia's approach to the situation in Ukraine.