Obama invites G7 leaders for meeting on Ukraine

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is gathering allied leaders for a meeting in Europe next week to discuss further action in response to Russia’s involvement in Ukraine.

White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said Obama on Tuesday invited leaders of the G-7 and European Union to meet on the sidelines of a nuclear summit next week in the Netherlands. Hayden said it will focus on what steps the group can take to respond to developments in Ukraine.

Members of the G-7 include the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain. The group already has suspended preparations for a G-8 Summit hosted by Russia in Sochi that has been scheduled for June.

ASSOCIATED PRESS