The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in Brisbane, Australia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the summit and faced a chorus of criticism from world leaders about his government's role in fueling the Ukraine crisis. The Russian leader departed Australia shortly before Obama and European leaders opened their talks.
French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron were among the European leaders attending the meeting, along with leaders from Italy and Spain and EU representatives.
The White House said the leaders in today's meeting also were expected to discuss a proposed trade agreement between the US and European Union.
