OREANDA-NEWS Russia has demonstrated resilience in the conflict in Ukraine, Swedish Defense Minister Paul Junson is quoted as saying by Euractiv.

"Russia has indeed demonstrated a certain resilience: it can rebuild its forces and military-industrial base," he said.

The minister added that Moscow is shifting its economy and military-industrial base to military rails, and the EU and the United States cannot approve long-term military support for Kiev.

Last week, the first deputy head of the International Monetary Fund, Gita Gopinath, also noted that the Russian economy is developing better than expected.

As Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with entrepreneurs of the Far East in early January, Russia overtook Germany in terms of economic volume, became the first in Europe and the fifth in the world in terms of purchasing power parity. The president called this result surprising in conditions when the country is being "strangled, crushed" by sanctions from all sides.