DISINFO: The West wants to rob Russians
SUMMARY
The West is offering Russia what it was offering it in the 1990s. The West wants to rob the Russian people.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin media outlets. In reality, Western aid and assistance in the 1990s helped Russia a lot in its transition from Communist rule towards a free-market economy. What Western nations strive for -- both back in the 1990s and now -- is a democratic, stable and corruption-free Russia at peace with herself and her neighbors.
Moscow profited very much from foreign technical and financial assistance right after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Western money and advice made it easier for Russia to bring its economy closer to Western standards and made it less vulnerable to economic fluctuations. Civil society also developed in Russia to a great degree also inspired by Western efforts and the new possibilities of interaction and contact.
The European Union expresses support for the development of pluralistic democracy in Russian and makes no secret of it. However, all of these does not mean that the West wants to subjugate, rob or enslave the Russian people.
Since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and the military campaign in Eastern Ukraine, the EU's relations towards Russia are guided by five principles; the five guiding principles, reflect the current situation and do not imply any aggressive measures against Moscow. They are aimed at protecting the European Union from possible further deterioration and allow for the liberalisation of the West’s attitude towards Russia if the latter starts softening its aggressive policies.
Russia had been almost fully integrated into the world economic and financial system before 2014. However, the West imposed sanctions on Moscow right after it illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and unleashed war in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas. The sanctions have been intensifying with time. These restrictive measures were not caused by what Russian propagandist media call the West’s obsession with anti-Russian policies. Western countries will be glad to lift these sanctions as soon as Russia stops its aggressive policy towards its neighbours and resumes respecting international law.
Read more disinformation cases alleging that the West follows a deliberately pre-planned anti-Russian political course.