The US Defence Secretary recently urged for an enhancement in defence cooperation between the friendly Black Sea countries. This suggestion was put forth as a response to Russia’s apparent “militarisation” of the region. This development comes ahead of an anticipated NATO Ministers summit, highlighting the increasing geopolitical tension and strategic importance of the Black Sea region.
Geographical Context of the Black Sea
Located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, the Black Sea is framed by the Pontic, Caucasus, and Crimean Mountains in the south, east and north respectively. It has a direct connection to the Sea of Azov via the Strait of Kerch. Further, the Turkish straits system comprising the Dardanelles, Bosporus and Marmara Sea creates a transitional zone between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
The countries bordering the Black Sea include Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. One of the significant features of the Black Sea is its anoxic waters, characterized by a significant absence of oxygen.
Russia’s Strategic Interest in The Black Sea
The strategic importance of the Black Sea region, primarily due to its unique geography, is evidently consequential to Russia. First, it offers a valuable crossroads and strategic intersection for the entire region. All littoral and neighboring states consider access to the Black Sea a crucial factor as it significantly enhances their power projection into several adjacent regions.
Second, the Black Sea region serves as a vital transit corridor for goods and energy, boosting its geopolitical importance. Lastly, the Black Sea region’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity and close historical ties with Russia due to geographical closeness amplifies Russia’s interest in the region.
In terms of territorial disputes, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and annexed the strategically important peninsula of Crimea, marking the largest land invasion from a sovereign state in this century. However, this takeover is unrecognised by most countries, who support Ukraine’s claims to the waters. In a significant move, India voted against a Ukraine-sponsored UN resolution in November 2020, thereby backing old ally Russia on the issue of alleged human rights violations in Crimea.
US and NATO’s Interests in The Black Sea
The Black Sea is strategically important to the US due to its location, bordering Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Most of these countries are allied with NATO, making the Black Sea a region of potential maritime conflict due to the faceoff between NATO countries and Russia.
Out of these countries, NATO members include Turkey, Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria. However, warships from the US, the UK, and other NATO allies have recently made increasingly frequent visits to the Black Sea as a show of support to Ukraine. Russia has often responded to NATO warships’ visits near Crimea by casting them as destabilizing factors, thereby further escalating the tension in the region.
In the light of these varying interests among the major global powers, the Black Sea region’s strategic importance continues to rise, impacting the geopolitical landscape extensively. As these interests intersect, the tension and potential for conflict continue to grow, making cooperation and dialogue more important than ever before.
