U.S. President Barack Obama is gathering allied leaders for a meeting in Europe next week to discuss further action in response to Russia's involvement in Ukraine, Associated Press has reported.

White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said Obama on Tuesday invited the leaders of the G-7 and the European Union to meet on the sidelines of a nuclear summit next week in the Netherlands.

Hayden said it will focus on what steps the group can take to respond to developments in Ukraine.

Members of the G-7 include the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain. The group already has suspended preparations for a G-8 Summit hosted by Russia in Sochi, which was scheduled for June.