G7 warns Russia to curb Ukraine unrest or face more sanctions

BRUSSELS, June 5 (AFP): World leaders urged Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to stop destabilising Ukraine or face further sanctions as they met without a Russian president for the first time since the 1990s.

Putin reached out a hand despite being banned from the Group of Seven summit following Russia's annexation of Crimea in March, saying that he was ready to meet Ukraine's president-elect.

But G7 leaders said that while they still hoped for "constructive" talks with Putin on the sidelines of D-Day commemorations in France on Friday, Moscow could face further punitive measures.

In a joint communique they said Putin must recognise the results of Ukraine's May 25 presidential election, won by Petro Poroshenko, stem destabilisation in the east of the country, and pull Russian troops back from the border.

"Actions to destabilise eastern Ukraine are unacceptable and must stop," the group said.

"We stand ready to intensify targeted sanctions and to implement significant additional restrictive measures to impose further costs on Russia should events so require."

US President Barack Obama earlier hit out at Russia's "dark tactics" in Ukraine in a hawkish speech in Warsaw that harked back to some of the darkest days of the Cold War.