Blinken says on Russia: U.S. wants a more stable relationship

The United States wants a more stable relationship with Russia but much will depend on how aggressively the Kremlin decides to act, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday.

“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,” Blinken said.

“But we’re not looking to escalate: we would prefer to have a more stable, more predictable relationship. And if Russia moves in that direction, so will we.”

On China, Blinken said the West was not trying to hold China down.

“It is not our purpose to try to contain China or to hold China down,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is to uphold the international rules based order that our countries have invested so much in over so many decades.”

Source : Reuters