"They are fantasizing, encouraging themselves, first of all. Secondly, they are trying to intimidate us. As for the Federal Republic of Germany, there are constitutional problems there. They correctly say: if these Taurus hit that part of the Crimean Bridge, which, of course, even according to their concepts, is Russian territory, this is a violation of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany," the president said.

"And we still have a lot to do to ensure that not only in terms of purchasing power parity, but also per capita, we have a decent position. That’s first. And second is that the structure itself changes, so that it becomes much more efficient, more modern, and more innovative. This is what we will work on," he said in interview to Dmitry Kiselev, the director general of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group.

"For instance, if we calculate the cost of their well-known missile defense system and [if we calculate the cost] of the main component of suppressing [their] missile defense, [used by] the Avangard intercontinental missile, a gliding block with an intercontinental range – these things are incomparable. We have virtually nullified everything they did, everything they have invested in their missile-defense system," he said in interview to Dmitry Kiselev, the Director general of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group.

"We must boost our destructive capabilities by increasing both the sheer quantity and potency of our weapons, as well as by improving the effectiveness of our military forces and resources. This means tactical and army aviation, as well as strategic forces, specifically focusing on components suitable for armed conflicts. This includes ground-based weapons such as high-precision tools, artillery, and armored vehicles. Without any exaggeration, progress in this area is being made by leaps and bounds," he stated in his interview with Dmitry Kiselev, the director general of Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik's parent media group.