The consequences of the militarization of Crimea for the wider Black Sea region

Abstract

The article explores the contours of the new security environment created in Europe after the annexation of Crimea. Specifically, the authors are debating the impact of this territorial seizure for the Black Sea, while highlighting the danger of access-denial capabilities that Moscow is investing in. Overall, these trends suggest that Russia aims to build its own zone of exclusion designed to keep NATO's presence at bay and that is becoming, step by step, a danger for the regional commons.