United States Secretary of State John Kerry called on Russia Sunday to take responsibility for the actions of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, as he stressed that the U.S. has overwhelming evidence of Russian complicity in the attack on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and killed 298 people.

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On NBC's "Meet the Press," Kerry said US intelligence had monitored movements of major military hadrware from Russia into Ukraine in the last month.

Among these movements were a convoy of 150 vehicles that included armored personnel carriers, tanks and rocket launchers.  He did not provide details as to when this movement took place. 

Kerry added that the U.S. has information indicating that Russian experts provided training to separatists inside Russian territory, at a facility that included missile systems. 

"Russia supplies the separatists, encourages the separatists and trains the separatists," Kerry said.

Kerry's words added to a chorus of outrage from Western powers after the shooting down of the passenger aircraft Thursday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime David Cameron have said in strong words that Russia is to blame for the missiles fired at the Malaysian plane.

U.S. officials hope that the anger will unify the 28-member EU bloc in taking the sanctions against Russia a step further.

As for now sanctions have mainly been targeted towards oligarchs close to Putin and single companies.

Analysts say the reluctance to step up and target entire sectors stems from a risk that this might cause serious damage to the global economy, not the least in Europe that has ten times as much trade with Russia than US.

Kerry also talked with Fox News Sunday and told reporters that President Obama is ready to take additional steps to expand the sanctions that are already laid on Russia.

He even hinted that US would go further than the economic sanctions:

"We are discussing with the Ukrainians right now what they need, and if there are other things we can do," Kerry said. "All options are on the table,  except sending in U.S. troops."

TagsJohn Kerry