Putin says he has ‘no ill intention’ toward Russia’s neighbors as his troops are accused of war crimes in Ukraine

• Putin said he has “no ill intention” toward Russia’s neighbors as he wages a brutal war in Ukraine.
• His comments come hours after Russia attacked and seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
• Meanwhile, Putin’s troops have been accused of war crimes amid attacks on civilian populations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said he has “no ill intention” toward Russia’s neighbors as his troops continue their brutal assault on Ukraine.

“We see no need to exacerbate the situation or worsen our relations,” Putin said on the state-owned Russia-24 news station, according to a translation from Financial Times reporter Polina Ivanova.

Putin added: “I think everyone should think about normalising relations and cooperating normally.”

Russian state-run news also reported the remarks. 

His comments come hours after Russian forces attacked and seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — the largest in the country and in Europe. Ukrainian officials said on Friday that radiation levels were safe.

In the past few days, Russia has ramped up its assault on Ukraine, particularly the capital city, Kyiv, and the country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv.

As the war passes the one-week mark, the international community has grown increasingly concerned with Russian strikes on civilian populations, which have killed scores of people and left entire neighborhoods shattered.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called one particular airstrike in Kharkiv a war crime, and the International Criminal Court said it has opened an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine.

The US State Department has also accused Russia of “widespread” human rights abuses, and top advocacy groups have warned that strikes against Ukrainian citizens may be considered war crimes.

Putin’s comments on Friday also marked a shift in tone after a Thursday phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, who was told that the Russian leader thinks his goals in Ukraine would be “fulfilled” and that the war was going “according to plan.”

“It was confirmed that, first of all, we are talking about the demilitarisation and neutral status of Ukraine, so that a threat to the Russian Federation will never emanate from its territory,” the Kremlin said in a statement, Reuters reported.

A senior French official also said Macron left the call thinking “the worst is yet to come” in Ukraine.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.