DISINFO: The West has always sought to weaken Russia and seize its resources
SUMMARY
The ideology of one’s own superiority over other peoples and civilizations has been cultivated in Western societies for centuries. The West looks at Russia from this position. Fearing its greatness and power, thirsting for its riches, Westerners have always sought to weaken the country and take possession of its resources. Therefore, the fact that with the start of a special military operation in Ukraine, a wave of Russophobia hit the West is not at all surprising.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives accusing the West of anti-Russian policies, aggressive Russophobia, and allegedly belligerent and hostile agenda to destroy Russia, aiming to portray Russia as a victim and deflect any responsibility for Moscow’s illicit actions. See also Russian Myths: no.5 Encirclement.
One of the Kremlin's favourite narratives is that Western countries are coveting Russian territories and Siberian natural resources. This claim is in line with a long tradition of recycling made-up statements, this time falsely attributed to Madeleine Albright.
The origin of the quote is well-established as coming from a retired FSO security officer, Boris Ratnikov, who declared that he reconstructed the brain of the former US Secretary of State and could read quotes inside, explaining this by parapsychology. The interview was published in 2006 in the government daily Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Although parapsychology is not a science and doesn’t produce trustworthy results, it had an important resonance in Russian politics.
Nine years later, in 2015, in the daily Newspaper Kommersant Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Kremlin’s National Security Council (and former head of the FSB) still referred to it. Patrushev very often returns to the topic of Natural Resources. (see here and here)
In December 2014 Vladimir Putin referred to this 'quote' without naming Madeleine Albright.
From the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the emergence of a new and democratic Russia and up to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, Western countries have been trying to establish good-neighbourly relations with Moscow.
Read also related stories: Russia's huge natural resources are the reason why the neo-liberal world is fighting against it, The West is using Navalny to access Russia's resources, the West attacks the institution of family in Slavic countries, aims at Russian resources.