FROZEN CONFLICTS, SECURITY CHALLENGES AND GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS IN THE BLACK SEA REGION
FROZEN CONFLICTS, SECURITY CHALLENGES AND GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS IN THE BLACK SEA REGION

Summary/Abstract: THE GEOPOLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE BLACK SEA REGION HAS MADE IT AN AREA OF CONCERN FOR SOME STATE ENTITIES TO IMPOSE THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND GAIN CONTROL. AFTER THE END OF THE COLD WAR, THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION CONSTANTLY EXPRESSED SUCH CONCERNS, A CONTEXT IN WHICH THE EUROPEAN UNION AND NATO STOOD OUT BY COUNTERACTING THEM. THE EMERGENCE OF NEW INDEPENDENT STATES AS A RESULT OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE BIPOLAR POWER SYSTEM, COUPLED WITH THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION'S EFFORTS TO MAINTAIN ITS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE, HAS LED TO PROTRACTED CONFLICTS - WHICH CONTINUE TO THREATEN REGIONAL SECURITY AND STABILITY - KNOWN AS FROZEN CONFLICTS, SUCH AS THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT, THE FROZEN TRANSNISTRIAN CONFLICT OR THE GEORGIAN-OSSETIAN CONFLICT, AND THE GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ CONFLICT. THE INVASION OF UKRAINE BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, WHICH BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 24, 2022, HAS BROUGHT THE REGION BACK TO THE CENTER OF GLOBAL CONCERN, WITH THE BLACK SEA BECOMING A GEOGRAPHICALLY IMPORTANT AREA FOR REGIONAL AND GLOBAL SECURITY. REGARDLESS OF HOW THE MILITARY DISPUTE IS RESOLVED AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS STUDY (MAY 25, 2022), WE BELIEVE THAT UKRAINE WILL BECOME AN AREA OF TENSION-GENERATING INSTABILITY BETWEEN THE WORLD'S SUPERPOWERS, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A NEW TYPE OF FROZEN CONFLICT, WITH SPECIFIC FEATURES.

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