Connections vol. 22, no. 3, Summer 2023, The Black Sea: A Sea of Conflicts

The Black Sea region was a lesser security priority for the West compared to the Baltic Sea until 2022. While deterrence proved successful in the Baltic, the Black Sea has been a zone of war of varying intensity since 2014 due to Russia’s aggressive actions and occupation of territories belonging to another sovereign state along the shores of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The encouraging outcomes of Ukraine’s military strategy demonstrate the effectiveness of its approach. However, it also highlights that war in a sea not directly connected to the world’s oceans can disrupt the trade of strategic commodities and have global consequences. This issue of Connections aims to provide a thematic overview of the complex dynamics surrounding the Black Sea, though it does not claim to offer a comprehensive analysis.

Editors: Cüneyt Gürer and Pàl Dunay

Contents

Gürer, Cüneyt, and Pàl Dunay. "The Black Sea: A Sea of Conflicts." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 5-14.
Ivanov, Zoran. "The Black Sea Power Struggle: Geopolitical Tensions in the 21st Century." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 15-30.
Fota, Iulian. "The Growing Western Interest in the Black Sea." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 31-43.
Mahmutaj, Noela. "The New Geopolitical Order in the Black Sea: Russia's Role in the Area." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 45-58.
Clinceanu, Alim. "Murky Tides: Improving NATO's Defensive Posture in the Black Sea Basin." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 59-71.
Ketenci, Ayşegül. "Russia's War on Ukraine and the Montreux Convention as Türkiye's International Law Instrument and Policy Tool for the Security of the Black Sea." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 72-84.
Mansouri, Leila, and Syuzanna Kirakosyan. "Fueling Instability: European Foreign and Energy Policies in the Wider Black Sea Area." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 85-101.
Pataraia, Tamar, Ivane Kechakmadze, Shorena Lortkipanidze, and Tata Makhatadze. "The Impact of International Sanctions on Russia: Challenges for Georgia." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 103-126.
Abirbek, Sauryk T.. "Prospects for EAEU Members' Cooperation with Crimea Following Its Disputed Accession to the Russian Federation." Connections: The Quarterly Journal 22, no. 3 (2023): 127-144.