President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia has no ill intentions towards its neighbors.

Referring to the ongoing Russian special operation in Ukraine, Putin stressed that Russia only responds to “negative actions by other countries”.

In an apparent nod to the impact of sanctions imposed by the US and its Western allies over the Russian operation, Putin pledged that Moscow would fulfill its economic obligations to other states.

On 24 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a special military operation in Ukraine meant to demilitarize and “de-Nazify” the country.