US defense secretary Mark Esper said that Russia and China are using the situation in the world as a result of the coronavirus pandemic to advance their interests, RIA Novosti reported.

His remarks came in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

Russia provided medical aid to Italy, but then tried to use it to sow discord between Rome and its allies through a disinformation campaign, Esper noted.

According to Russia president's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Russia's aid to other countries in the context of the coronavirus pandemic is an exclusively humanitarian issue.