The Black Sea and European security

#FoEDebate #BlackSea #RussiaUkraine

The Black Sea has become one of the most bitterly contested strategic zones around Europe since the end of the Cold War. It is the theatre not only of so-called “frozen conflicts” – in breakaway areas of Moldova and Georgia supported by Russian troops – but also of live conflicts over Crimea and Donbas, where since 2014 Russian forces and proxies have seized and occupied territory internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.

Approaching the issue as a zero-sum game in which “freedom” must prevail over “authoritarianism” – the historically dominant perspective in Washington and much of Eastern Europe – carries a serious risk of further armed conflict in the Black Sea region, with the potential for a major war, which would be in neither Russian nor Western interests. There must be a better way.

Based on interviews with about 40 policymakers, military commanders, energy executives, strategic experts, and civil society representatives in Black Sea states, NATO, the EU and the United States, Friends of Europe’s latest report explores alternatives to escalating east-west tension in the region. These alternative approaches consider a different security framework, reciprocal confidence-building measures, or de facto dialogue and understanding between global players to defuse the contest. The launch event will serve as a platform for key stakeholders and senior experts to debate and react to the report’s conclusions and recommendations, placing the spotlight on the key challenges highlighted in the study.

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