Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Chumakov, spoke at a UN Security Council meeting on the topic “Energy, critical minerals, and security.” His speech essentially amounted to the presentation of a series of talking points that Moscow will likely continue to promote actively on this issue.
First, the Kremlin official launched into the traditional refrain about “neocolonialism,” claiming that Western countries pursue improper policies in the extraction and processing of natural resources: “The West seeks to develop capacities for creating added value within its own jurisdictions, while the technologies they provide are, at best, “catch-up” in nature. The reproduction of colonial models built on extracting resource rents without the full development of the producing states risks not only entrenching but greatly intensifying global conflict potential, adding a new front of confrontation to the struggle for traditional resources”.
As an alternative for African countries (which Chumakov clearly had in mind), he proposes cooperation with the Russian Federation — a country widely recognized for extracting resources in exchange for supporting the survival of local dictatorial regimes. All of this is, of course, packaged as “defending the interests of the indigenous populations of African states”.
At the same time, Chumakov could not avoid addressing the issue of Russia’s shadow fleet. According to him, efforts to counter this phenomenon threaten the energy security of both individual countries and entire regions: “…turning energy into an instrument of geopolitical and economic pressure nullifies the achievements of technological progress. Unfortunately, we are witnessing how competitors in the energy sphere are harshly eliminated, unilateral sanctions are imposed on energy companies of competing states, sabotage of critically important cross-border infrastructure is carried out, and other illegal actions occur, including the seizure of vessels in violation of the freedom of the high seas”.
The Kremlin is actively searching for allies to counter sanctions and circumvent restrictions. For this purpose, a false parallel is promoted: the claim that dismantling Russia’s shadow fleet is equivalent to restricting the rights of third countries to obtain energy resources. This is presented as something that allegedly harms the development prospects of states that might receive Russian cargoes.
While Chumakov’s remark about “turning energy into an instrument of geopolitical and economic pressure,” is essentially a textbook case of accusing others of the very behavior practiced by Russia itself.
Another significant part of Chumakov’s speech at the UN reads in a similar light: “We consider unacceptable the politicized attempts to reduce the importance and role of hydrocarbon resources in the global energy balance, as well as the accelerated abandonment of traditional fuels in favor of green protectionism.”
It is clear how concerned the Kremlin is about the potential loss of its role as one of the world’s main suppliers of critical resources. Recently, Moscow has noticeably intensified information operations in this direction.
First of all, these narratives aimed at European audiences promote the supposed necessity of maintaining energy dependence on Russia, claiming it is essential for EU economic growth and prosperity. Second, the Kremlin will continue to exploit the shortcomings and internal debates surrounding Europe’s green policies in order to fuel disintegration within societies and political systems across European states.
