G7 leaders to hold video-conference on Ukraine next Thursday: Berlin

Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy nations will hold a virtual conference next Thursday with the Ukraine crisis high on the agenda, said Germany, which holds the group's rotating presidency.

The talks will serve as preparations for a face-to-face meeting in June but "will also offer an opportunity for an exchange on current topics -- in particular the geopolitical situation, with a view to the situation at the Russian-Ukraine borders," said a German government spokesman.