Black Sea region in Russian foreign policy

Abstract

The Black Sea region after the Cold War has undergone major changes and has become one of the most
strategically important regions in the world. One of the most important factors contributing to this was the growing
demand for energy in Europe, which is mainly supplied through this region. The heterogeneous nature of the region,
along with frozen and existing conflicts, make the region unstable and open to armed conflicts. The NATO enlargement process to the East has reinforced geopolitical tensions in the region due to Russia’s concern about the changing
balance of forces in the region. Regional and global powers having different interests and priorities have turned this
region into a zone of possible armed conflict. The purpose of this study is to study the factors that determine the Black
Sea region as strategic for Russia. The study also traces the trend of changing Russia’s strategy in the region after the
end of the Cold War, in particular, during the period of V. Putin’s presidency.