G7 warns Putin of further sanctions

The G7 summit, held yesterday at Brussels where the leaders of the world's top industrialised nations met to discuss current issues, concluded that Russia must involve itself in stabilizing the situation in east Ukraine or suffer more sanctions.

The summit was held without President Vladimir Putin who has been suspended from the G7 meetings.

Yesterday's talks focused primarily on the critical condition in Ukraine and Putin was urged to withdraw Russian forces near the border and halt any supply of weapons and separatist combatants to militia fighters.

Angela Merkel spoke without hesitation: 'If we do not have progress on the questions we have to solve there is the possibility of sanctions, also of the so-called phase three sanctions on the table, because we cannot afford a further destabilisation in Ukraine.'

The second day of the summit may focus on other issues such as trade and energy security which also involves Russia as so many of Europe's countries rely on its gas supplies and oil.