WASHINGTON, May 1. /TASS/. The United States, its allies and partners, are seeking a more constructive relationship with Russia on the condition that Moscow fulfils its international obligations, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a Twitter post.

"Alongside our partners and Allies, we seek a more constructive relationship with Russia, but it must honor its international commitments," the US top diplomat wrote.

He went on to say that Washington joins "EU leaders in condemning" Russia’s entry ban on EU officials, which he described as "yet another effort by Moscow to intimidate critics."

On Friday, the Russian foreign ministry published a blacklist of eight EU nationals who were banned from entering Russia. The blacklist includes David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament; Jorg Raupach, Berlin’s chief prosecutor; Ivars Abolins, chairman of Latvia’s National Electronic Media Council; Maris Baltins, Director of the Latvian State Language Center; Jacques Maire, a member of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Asa Scott, Head of the CBRN Protection and Security Division at the Swedish Defense Research Agency; Ilmar Tomusk, Director General of the Language Inspectorate, Estonia; Vera Jourova, Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency.

Russia’s step followed the European Council’s sanctions against six Russian nationals of March 2 and 22, 2021.