US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Russian bombardments of Ukraine 'barbaric'
US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Russian bombardments of Ukraine 'barbaric' AFP

US President Joe Biden and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak called Russian President Vladimir Putin's targeting of Ukrainian civilians "barbaric" on Wednesday at a G20 summit in Bali.

"At a moment when world leaders here in Bali are seeking to make progress on world peace, Putin is striking civilian targets -- children, women. I mean, it's almost -- my words, not yours -- barbaric," Biden said at a meeting with Sunak.

The British prime minister, meeting Biden for the first time since taking office, said: "I agree with your words -- barbaric."

They were speaking as tensions spiralled over the deaths of two people when a missile hit inside Poland, across the Ukrainian border.

Western officials have responded with caution in attributing blame and Biden said that the trajectory appeared to rule out the weapon being fired "from Russia."

Russia has been firing waves of missiles, often at civilians, across Ukraine in the wake of being pushed out of the city of Kherson, which Moscow had occupied and declared to be part of Russia.

"It's way over the top," Biden said. "Russia can and should stop the war."

Biden told Sunak they were "on the same page in terms of supporting the Ukrainian people's right to be free of all Russian forces in their country."