Western leaders gathering in Brussels have sought to build on a
successful Ukrainian presidential election to push for a settlement
between Moscow and Kiev.
At a two-day Brussels summit of the group
of seven, which opened on Wednesday, Obama and European leaders warned
the Kremlin of tougher economic sanctions unless Russia stopped facilitating violence in eastern Ukraine.
"We stand ready to intensify targeted sanctions and to consider
significant additional restrictive measures to impose further costs on
Russia should events so require," the leaders said in a statement late
on Wednesday.
But the emphasis was on capitalising on the
landslide victory of president-elect Petro Poroshenko to try to
encourage direct talks with Russia.
"We consider that we have some
diplomatic and political possibilities to see if Russia is ready to
engage more and stop destabilisation in Ukraine," said Herman Van
Rompuy, the president of the European Council, who co-chaired the
summit.
Obama met Poroshenko for the first time on Wednesday in Warsaw before travelling to Brussels.
While being highly critical of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, over Ukraine, Obama has also used his visit this week to Europe
to emphasise the potential for rebuilding trust between Russia and the
west, depending on Moscow's behaviour on Ukraine in coming weeks.
Chancellor
Angela Merkel of Germany also signalled there may be opportunities for a
diplomatic opening to chart a way out of the Ukrainian crisis.
Western
officials say they have been mildly encouraged by Putin's response to
the Ukrainian presidential election and appear inclined to give the
Kremlin the benefit of the doubt.
While Ukraine dominated
Wednesday evening's Brussels dinner, it is also certain to loom large
over events in France on Friday marking the 70th anniversary of the
D-day landings. Putin is to attend and may have his first meeting with
Obama since the Ukraine conflict turned violent in February.
In
Warsaw Obama accused the Kremlin of resorting to the "dark tactics" of
the last century in Ukraine, and pledged to resist Russian aggression in
eastern Europe.
"The days of empire and spheres of influence are over," he said at the royal palace in Warsaw.
"Bigger
nations must not be allowed to bully the small, or impose their will at
the barrel of a gun or with masked men taking over buildings.
"Further
Russian provocations will only mean more isolation and costs for
Russia. After investing so much blood and treasure to bring Europe
together, how can we allow the dark tactics of the 20th century to
define this new century?"
Obama invoked the anniversaries this
week of the D-day landings in France in 1944 and the communist bloc's
first partly free elections in Poland in 1989 as key events in the fight
to free Europe from tyranny.
He said: "We've been reminded by
Russia's aggression in Ukraine, our free nations cannot be complacent in
pursuit of the vision we share – a Europe that is whole and free and at
peace. We have to work for that."
The US leader sought to allay
fears that the west was reluctant to commit to eastern Europe's
security. "As allies, we have a solemn duty to defend your territorial
integrity. And we will," he told the Poles.
"We stand together,
now and forever, for your freedom is ours. Poland will never stand
alone. But not just Poland – Estonia will never stand alone. Latvia will
never stand alone. Lithuania will never stand alone.
Romania will never
stand alone."
In Berlin Merkel, who is to meet Putin in France on
Friday, demanded that the Russian leader act forcefully to prevent
violence in eastern Ukraine, and to close the borders to arms and
paramilitaries entering Ukraine from Russia.
"If this does not stop, we won't flinch from imposing more sanctions," she told the German parliament.
Hosting
the G7 summit in Brussels, Van Rompuy echoed Merkel and accused Putin
of promoting violence in eastern Ukraine. "We call on Russia to
contribute actively to de-escalation efforts," he said, "notably through
the withdrawal of its troops from the border, using its leverage on the
armed separatists in eastern Ukraine to stop their illegal actions and
obtain their disarmament, and preventing the crossing of armed militants
and weapons into Ukraine.
"By not addressing these issues Russia is contributing to the increase of violence."
Who's fighting over what
Hollande v Obama on BNP Paribas:
The French president told journalists that he did not know whether
Obama wanted to discuss the reported $10bn fine the French bank faces in
the US for alleged sanctions busting "but me, I will speak to him about
it".
Obama v Merkel on phone-tapping: A
Geman prosecutor is to open an investigation into allegations the US
National Security Agency monitored Angela Merkel's mobile phone. Berlin
and Washington are unlikely to cancel dinners over the issue.
Merkel v Cameron on Jean-Claude Juncker:
Cameron has taken the strongest stance against Juncker for EU
Commission president – Merkel has said she supports Juncker. German
media have since raised questions over the UK's future in the EU.
Merkel v Hollande on Christine Lagarde:
Reuters reported that Merkel asked Hollande to put forward Christine
Lagarde, the French head of the IMF, as an alternative to Juncker.
Socialist Hollande is said to oppose both Juncker and Lagarde.
Obama v Putin on Ukraine:
Until Russia annexed Crimea, the G8 was to meet in Sochi. Then Russia
was expelled, the G8 became the G7 and is meeting in Brussels. Putin
will meet Cameron, Hollande and Obama in Normandy on Friday.