New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS): Russias President Vladimir Putin has 're-introduced war to the European continent', the leaders of the G7 have said, The Guardian reported.

In a joint statement following a virtual meeting, the leaders of France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the UK, the US, Canada as well as the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Council President, Charles Michel, and the NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, strongly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the report said.

The crisis is a "serious threat to the rules-based international order, with ramifications well beyond Europe," the G7 leaders said, adding that Putin had "put himself on the wrong side of history," The Guardian reported.

The statement said, "We condemn President Putin for his consistent refusal to engage in a diplomatic process to address questions pertaining to European security, despite our repeated offers.

"We stand united with partners, including NATO, the EU and their member states as well as Ukraine and remain determined to do what is necessary to preserve the integrity of the rules-based international order."

The White House has released a statement from US President Joe Biden, saying the G7 leaders have agreed to move forward on "devastating packages of sanctions," the report said.