'Vital': Putin's war refocuses 'all energy' of NATO on the Black Sea
Created: 04/12/2022, 20:04
By: Linus Prien
Merchant ships reach the port of Odessa.
© IMAGO/Yulii Zozulia
After more than nine months of war in Ukraine, the Black Sea is emerging as a major geopolitical arena.
Securing the area is a major challenge for NATO.
Bucharest – The Black Sea is one of the focal points of the Ukraine war.
The reason for this is the geography of the conflict: Russia and Ukraine are on the north coast.
Georgia, also invaded by Russia, is on the east coast.
The NATO states of Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria are on the west coast.
Due to international energy flows and trade routes, the region has enormous geopolitical importance for the EU, NATO, as well as for Russia.
“The Black Sea is vital to NATO security because it is where so many allies, partners and adversaries meet.
There are also large hydrogen deposits locally, important grain supply routes and the active war in Ukraine," former US military officer James Stavridis said, as reported by The
Wall Street Journal
.
Black sea map.
© Twitter Screenshot/ DavidNorthWSWS
Ukraine war: Conflict draws 'all attention to the Black Sea'
The Black Sea also plays a major role in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
Russia has attacked port cities like Mariupol and Odessa in recent months and made attempts to cut off Ukrainian trade routes.
The battle for Ukraine's ports and the Black Sea received the most international attention when Ukraine managed to sink the Russian Navy's flagship, the Moskva.
The Kremlin attributed the lowering of the Moscow River to various "technical problems" and crew errors.
However, the region is not only relevant for the warring parties: "The conflict is directing all our energy to the Black Sea," said US State Department sources.
Ukraine war: Access for NATO presence in the Black Sea is restricted
At a recent NATO summit in Bucharest, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the importance of the Black Sea region.
NATO has significantly increased its presence since 2014 and the annexation of Crimea.
States like France and the USA patrol the waters with heavy military equipment.
However, NATO cannot currently expand its military presence on the ground.
The same applies to Russia.
According to the Treaty of Montreux (1936), Turkey has the authority to close off the sea space.
American officials are now turning to Turkey to allow for an additional military presence in the area: "We keep the Black Sea safe by not ignoring it, and for now I'm afraid we're ignoring it," said former US Admiral James Foggo according to the
Wall Street Journal
.
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However, help from Turkey does not seem likely.
Although the country is a NATO member itself, it has its own agenda in the Black Sea region.
The Turkish foreign minister said: "We will continue to ensure security and stability in a region marked by conflicts." It seems unlikely that Turkey will open its waters to NATO and keep them closed to Russia and thus alienating Moscow.
Supporting NATO countries on the ground, such as Romania, could be one way to ensure more security on the ground.
"Ultimately, issues around the Black Sea area, trade routes and access to ports will also be a problem and difficult in post-conflict negotiations," Stavridis said.
(LP)
