Russia says it is still far from reaching some of its self-declared goals since launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
White House spokesman John Kirby said Mr Xi should use his influence to press Mr Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine.
Russia has accused the UK of a targeted disinformation campaign.
Mr Stoltenberg however reiterated NATO’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
In Tuesday’s incident, an electricity substation also caught fire near the town of Dzhankoi in north Crimea.
The British Intelligence Service said that Russia’s advances in the Donbas region had been stymied by strong Ukrainian resistance.
The sanctions target a key commercial bank, a virtual currency mining company and a “global network of more than 40 individuals.”
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the next phase of invasion “will be a very important moment of this entire special operation”.
The troops are likely to be redeployed to fight in the eastern region of Donbas, according to a ministry statement published on Twitter.
All American diplomats have left Ukraine, with no plans to return anytime soon.
