Russia's Putin dominates G-7 summit in absentia

BRUSSELS (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin was kept out of Wednesday’s summit of world leaders but dominated the meeting as President Barack Obama and his counterparts from the G-7 group of major economies sought the Kremlin chief’s renewed cooperation to end the Ukraine crisis.

French President Francois Hollande said the meeting sent a clear signal of unity by urging Russia to help stabilize the situation in Ukraine, while keeping the threat of further sanctions on the table.