Ukraine war: Key developments you need to know today
The White House said on Sunday it would continue to arm Ukraine, while declining to comment on an explosion that damaged Russia's Crimea bridge.
"We don't really have anything more to add to the reports about the explosion on the bridge," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
"What I can tell you is that Mr. Putin started this war, and Mr. Putin could end it today, simply by moving his troops out of the country."
Kirby said both sides needed to negotiate an end to the war but that the Russian president had shown no interest in doing so.
"Quite the contrary," he added. "By calling up hundreds of thousands of reservists, by politically annexing, or at least trying to annex four areas of Ukraine, he has shown every indication that he is doubling down."
This was why the US would continue to provide Ukraine with "security assistance", said Kirby, adding that his country's officials were "in touch" with their Ukrainian counterparts on an almost daily basis.
Russia formally annexed four Ukrainian regions in the east at the end of September in a move that was condemned by Western countries and Ukraine.
Recent Ukrainian advances have routed Russian troops in certain areas of these disputed regions.
Following US President Joe Biden's comments last week about the possibility of nuclear "Armageddon", Kirby said the US had no reason to change its nuclear strategy.
"The president was reflecting the very high stakes that are in play right now," he said, adding the White House had no indication Putin had made a decision to use the weapons.
Pope Francis urged world leaders to learn the lessons of history and choose the path to peace amid rising nuclear tensions over the Ukraine war.
"We cannot forget the danger
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