While Ukraine successfully conducted a peaceful presidential election recently, the situation in the eastern region near the Russian border remains unstable, with armed groups attacking Ukrainian government forces and taking over state buildings. The G7 stated their readiness to impose more sanctions on Russia if necessary, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized the need for Russia to stabilize the situation in Ukraine. The US and EU have already implemented some sanctions in response to Russia's actions in Crimea, with further measures threatened if the elections were disrupted. However, the smooth election process may suggest that Russia is becoming more cooperative and reducing the risk of additional sanctions. Wednesday's statement indicates that the West is not yet convinced that President Vladimir Putin is taking enough action to ease tensions in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian militias have seized control of buildings, attacked Ukrainian troops, and declared independence. Despite Russia's denial of involvement in the conflict, Putin has defended his right to protect Russian-speaking people. Although Putin has been excluded from the G7 summit for the first time since 1997, he will have face-to-face meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, and British Prime Minister David Cameron at a D-Day anniversary event in France. The focus of these meetings is on the discussions that take place rather than who Putin is meeting with. The summit will also address economic, trade, climate, and energy policy issues, with energy security in Europe being a key topic of discussion. The G7 leaders are expected to highlight the importance of prioritizing the security of energy supplies and condemn the use of energy resources as a political tool. The crisis in Ukraine highlights the importance of prioritizing energy security and taking significant steps to diversify energy supplies. Economic discussions among G7 members, including the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, Japan, and Italy, are expected to focus on sustaining economic recovery and implementing stricter regulations to avoid future banking sector issues. Leaders will also reaffirm their dedication to completing financial reforms, such as addressing "too-big-to-fail" banks, by the end of the year.