BRUSSELS (AP) — President Barack Obama is urging Russia to open talks with the new government coming into power in Ukraine. Otherwise, Obama says, Moscow will face continuing costs imposed by the world’s leading economies.

Obama emerged from two days of meetings with the Group of Seven in Brussels saying the leaders wanted to make sure they’re in “lockstep” on a strategy going forward in Ukraine. That country’s new president is being inaugurated Saturday.

Obama says Russia needs to seize the opportunity and begin talks with the new Ukrainian leader. He spoke at a news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron. The two had met privately after the closing of the gathering of the G-7 nations.

The meeting was supposed to take place in Russia — and it was supposed to have included Putin. But the leaders froze him out and moved the site to Brussels after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula.

Obama is meeting in Paris this evening with French President Francois Hollande (frahn-SWAH’ oh-LAWND’). Ukraine will top their agenda.

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041-c-22-(Mark Smith, AP White House correspondent)-“on Ukraine’s border”-AP White House Correspondent Mark Smith reports a summit statement urges Moscow to take fresh steps to de-escalate the Ukraine crisis, but holds off on further sanctions. (5 Jun 2014)

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040-v-35-(Mark Smith, AP White House correspondent, with President Barack Obama)–President Obama and other G-7 leaders are calling on Russia to do more to ease the crisis in Ukraine. AP White House Correspondent Mark Smith reports. (5 Jun 2014)

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APPHOTO BELD112: President Barack Obama British Prime Minister David Cameron participate in a news conference at the G7 summit in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, June 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) (4 Jun 2014)

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