MOSCOW. Dec 17 (Interfax) - German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's remark that Russia can be talked to only from a position of strength is counterproductive to relations between Moscow and Berlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
"The lady has become a defense minister, and she probably wanted to show how tough she is. In this particular case, she simply repeated a hackneyed cliche, which numerous NATO countries keep repeating," Putin said when talking to journalists on Thursday, when asked to share his opinion on these words.
"This is counterproductive for relations between our states, nor does it make sense from a defense policy standpoint, because... just because! Because you should see what the Russian army is like today," Putin said.
"Frankly speaking, I wouldn't pay too much attention to this. Don't make a big deal about it. I'm not sure she's happy about this statement herself, along with a lot of responsible politicians in the Federal Republic [of Germany] itself. This is just a traditional cliche," he said.