Russian invasion of Ukraine: US President Joe Biden brainstorms with G7 leaders

The meeting of G7 leaders - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States - was virtual and closed-door.

Washington:US President Joe Biden met with G7 leaders on Thursday to hammer out a draft of new sanctions against Russia after it invaded Ukraine, and he is set to speak to American people on a crisis that he warns will cause "catastrophic loss of life." He is expected to announce the sanctions the G7 allies have agreed on against Russia.

The meeting of G7 leaders - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States - was virtual and closed-door. Biden said on Wednesday night the US will also "coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance."

The G7 is an informal grouping of seven of the world's advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union.

Earlier on Thursday, President Biden convened a meeting of the National Security Council in the Situation Room to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine, according to another White House official.

Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, hitting cities and bases with airstrikes or shelling, as civilians piled into trains and cars to flee. According to reports, 40 Ukrainians have been killed so far while Russia claims to have destroyed over 70 Ukrainian military bases.

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