Obama, Cameron call for Putin to recognize new Ukraine president

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday called for Russia to open talks with the new government coming into power in Ukraine — or face continuing costs if Moscow’s provocations continue.

Obama emerged from two days of meetings with the Group of Seven industrialized nations saying it was a chance for the gathered leaders to make sure they are in "lockstep" on a strategy amid uncertain times in Ukraine. He urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to "enter into a dialogue" with Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko, who is set to be inaugurated Saturday after winning the May 25 election.

"Russia needs to seize that opportunity," Obama said. "Russia needs to recognize that President-elect Poroshenko is the legitimately elected leader of Ukraine and engage the government in Kiev."

Obama spoke at a news conference with Cameron in Brussels after the two met privately following the closing of G-7 talks. Obama was heading to Paris Thursday evening for dinner with French President François Hollande. Ukraine will also top their agenda.

The G-7 meeting was originally supposed to take place in Sochi, Russia — and to include Putin — but the leaders froze him out and moved the site to Brussels after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula. After an opening dinner Wednesday, members of the group said in a joint statement that they condemn Russia's continuing violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and its annexation of Crimea.

Cameron said Russia's actions in Ukraine are at odds with the leaders' democratic values. "From the outset of this crisis, the G-7 have stood united," he said.

But the group’s stance on Ukraine was little changed after the two-day summit, with both Obama and Cameron indicating the next month would be a crucial one for Putin to demonstrate his commitment to de-escalation in eastern Ukraine. The West accuses Moscow of stoking separatism in the Russian-speaking east and of acting through surrogates to destabilize the country, which in February unseated its pro-Russian president.

Putin denies that charge and says he supports the interests of ethnic Russians, warning that civil war could be imminent. While Russia has recently withdrawn most of its troops from Ukraine’s eastern border, many suspect Moscow does not have full control over the armed pro-Russian groups that continue to occupy government buildings in major cities.

The United States and Europe started out showing solidarity against Putin by levying sanctions against the Russian president. But diverging approaches are emerging now that European leaders are planning separate, private meetings with Putin in Paris.

Putin said Wednesday he was willing to meet Obama in France, but the U.S. leader has so far shunned the opportunity, leaving Hollande to shuttle between the two men. Hollande will rush from meeting Queen Elizabeth II at his Élysée Palace to a chic restaurant overlooking the Champs-Élysées to dine with Obama before going back to his residence for a late supper with Putin.

Hollande said Thursday that it was up to Obama if he wanted to meet with Putin — but that either way both men would be at events commemorating Friday’s 70th anniversary of the World War II Allied invasion of Normandy.

"The important thing is we have the same language, the same arguments on Ukraine all together," Hollande said in a brief exchange with reporters traveling with Obama. "We are seven."

Al Jazeera and wire services