U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington wants a stable relationship with Moscow but that will depend on Kremlin policies and how aggressively it decides to act.
Speaking on May 3 after meeting with his British counterpart in London, Blinken repeated past statements from President Joe Biden and the previous administration, saying that the United States did not want to escalate tensions with Russia, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
"President Biden's been very clear for a long time, including before he was president, that if Russia chooses to act recklessly or aggressively, we'll respond," he said.
"But we're not looking to escalate: We would prefer to have a more stable, more predictable relationship," he said. "And if Russia moves in that direction, so will we."
Read alsoU.S. should accelerate providing inactivated warships to Ukraine – The Heritage FoundationIt is noted Blinken's comments on Russia come as tensions continue to spiral downward, over issues including military threats to Ukraine, the SolarWinds cyberattack on U.S. networks, and Russia's treatment of jailed opposition activist Aleksei Navalny.
Blinken's meeting with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab comes as ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries gathered in person for the first time in two years, it said.
In addition to Russia, other subjects on the G7 agenda include the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Iran's nuclear program, and a trade deal in the wake of London's withdrawal from the European Union.
More news reports
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- U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency issues statement on threats from Russia
- Russian envoy summoned to EU over entry ban on eight nationals
- U.S. Under Secretary of State Nuland to visit Ukraine along with Secretary of State Blinken
