MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. Russia became Europe’s number one economy in terms of purchasing power parity, despite the unprecedented sanctions that it has to face, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Tucker Carlson published on the US journalist’s website.

"Russia was the first economy in Europe last year, despite all the sanctions and restrictions. Is it normal from your point of view: sanctions, restrictions, impossibility of payments in dollars, being cut off from SWIFT services, sanctions against our ships carrying oil, sanctions against airplanes, sanctions in everything, everywhere. The largest number of sanctions in the world which are applied, are applied against Russia. And we have become Europe's first economy during this time," Putin said.