Germany’s Angela Merkel urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to help stem violence in eastern Ukraine and said the West would not hesitate to impose stricter economic sanctions on Russia if it failed to cooperate.

Germany's Angela Merkel urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to help stem violence in eastern Ukraine and said the West would not hesitate to impose stricter economic sanctions on Russia if it failed to cooperate.

Merkel was speaking ahead of a summit of the Group of Seven major industrialized nations, a meeting Russia was supposed to host but has been pointedly excluded from because of its seizure of Crimea.

"It is decisive that President Putin use his influence to get the separatists to refrain from violence and intimidation, hand over their weapons and stop the occupations," she told the German parliament, referring to Russia-allied separatists.

"If this doesn't happen ... we won't shrink from imposing further sanctions."

The United States and European Union have imposed travel bans and asset freezes on dozens of Russian and Crimean officials since the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula in March, but have not yet moved to more severe economic sanctions.

Those were threatened if Russia took further steps to destabilize Ukraine. With elections having gone smoothly, and new President Petro Poroshenko in office, some have concluded that Putin has stepped back from the brink.

The threat of imposing further costs on Russia if necessary will be kept on the table.

Russia denies it is behind the revolt in eastern Ukraine, where militias allied to Moscow have seized buildings, attacked Ukrainian troops and declared independence. Putin has also defended his right to protect Russian-speaking people.