Brussels: President Barack Obama is meeting with two of his most important European allies as they try to navigate shifting conditions in the Ukraine crisis including the new government's rise to power.

Obama plans to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron in Brussels after a gathering of world leaders at the Group of 7 summit today. Then he flies to Paris for dinner with French President Francois Hollande.

Figuring out how to respond to Russia's involvement in Ukraine tops the agenda. The European leaders are also planning separate private meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Obama is mostly steering clear of him.

The G-7 meeting was originally supposed to include Russia, but the leaders froze Putin out and relocated the meeting from Sochi, Russia, to Brussels.--- PTI