US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a newspaper interview published today, Tuesday, that the United States hopes for "more stable" relations with Russia, adding that the US-Russian ties can be better predicted".

"But if Russia continues to take reckless or aggressive actions, we will respond, not with the aim of escalation, but we will defend our interests and values," Blinken told the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica.

Blinken was referring to cyber-attacks targeting US government agencies and the role of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.

The US Secretary of State added that the relations with China are "the most complicated"  but added that the US "will not ask any country to take side with the US on behalf of the other."