The Changing Security Environment in the Black Sea Region

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Black Sea region has been undergoing radical changes. Being a strategically important crossroad between Europe and Asia it has become a geopolitical symbol signifying a multipolar world order. The region has been experiencing a major reconfigu-ration of power balance for years. Countries, like Russia, Turkey and China are continuously expanding its military and security posture by matching it with an uncompromising and assertive foreign policy. However, the Western world has missed these rapidly changing dynamics and has been burdened by navigating between this new hard geopolitical reality in the region and exceptionalism in its foreign policy. The aim of the discussion is to analyse the new geopolitical situation and the impact of growing international involvement in the Black Sea on the regional stability.