Caspian Report - Issue: 07 - Spring 2014
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Today, the Black Sea basin experiences its<br />
fourth and the most important transformation<br />
with the alterations and developments<br />
which are shaped around Ukraine and<br />
Crimea.<br />
The developments occurred after<br />
the Cold War brought the Black Sea<br />
and the associated extensive basin<br />
to the center of geopolitical discussions.<br />
After the end of the Cold War<br />
and dissolution of the Soviet Union,<br />
geopolitical and geostrategic balances<br />
changed to a great extent with<br />
the emergence of new independent<br />
states in the region. As a result of the<br />
changes in the international system<br />
after the Cold War, the Black Sea was<br />
no longer a sea in the sphere of interest<br />
of only the regional countries, it<br />
turned into a sea that is important to<br />
international actors and open to international<br />
interactions. Now, it does<br />
not only appeal to a single power, but<br />
also to Turkey, Russia, NATO, EU, and<br />
USA.<br />
The Black Sea basin constitutes the<br />
energy and transit corridor which<br />
links the Euro-Atlantic system to<br />
Eurasia, <strong>Caspian</strong> energy resources,<br />
and Central Asia states. The proximity<br />
of the Black Sea basin to areas<br />
with rich energy resources, and its<br />
strategic location for the transportation<br />
of these resources to the West<br />
increase the importance of region.<br />
All of these factors increased the<br />
geopolitical importance of the Black<br />
Sea basin and turned it into a key geography<br />
which international actors<br />
consider to restructure.<br />
But, all these developments made<br />
the Black Sea basin a sensitive and<br />
fragile region. After the Cold War, the<br />
basin entered into a fast transformation<br />
process which occurred one<br />
after another. It experienced its first<br />
transformation after the dissolution<br />
of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the<br />
second transformation happened<br />
due to the Euro-Atlantic world’s efforts<br />
to penetrate into the region<br />
after September 11, 2001. The third<br />
transformation started with the Russian-Georgian<br />
War in August 2008.<br />
Today, the Black Sea basin experiences<br />
its fourth and the most important<br />
transformation with the alterations<br />
and developments which are<br />
shaped around Ukraine and Crimea.<br />
With these events, the region became<br />
the center of the most serious<br />
crisis between the West and Russia<br />
after the Cold War period.<br />
117<br />
CASPIAN REPORT, SPRING <strong>2014</strong>
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