Romanian Naval Forces Contribution to Strengthening Romania’s Profile as a Proactive Security Provider in the Black Sea Region

Abstract

Nowadays, because of growing uncertainty and instability in the context of a changing geopolitical system, we should reconsider the Wider Black Sea Region as a place in which frictions between cultural, political and economic divergent communities would be more predominant. In addition, there are the consequences of globalisation that create a factual interdependence of countries geographically far away, when the effects of local crisis are immediately perceived at the worldwide scale. Countries around this region, and not only, rely on the maritime domain for trade, economic development, food, job and other types of security. In this context, the latest actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine and the militarisation of Crimea have substantially modified the framework of security strategies in the area. The numerous frozen conflicts, due to Russian policy, represent a real threat across the region. With the Crimean Peninsula, Russia is able to extend its military reach over much of the Black Sea maritime domain, the South Caucasus littoral, Ukraine, Moldova, and, possibly, far beyond over Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey