Rethinking EU’s Black Sea Policy: Linking Security and Connectivity

With Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine since February 2022, the Black Sea has become a key area of competition for the new European security order. Although Russia has already created a new reality in the Black Sea with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, only the large-scale war against Ukraine has brought real attention to the central role of the Black Sea for European security, the EU neighborhood, and connectivity policy. While the Black Sea is crucial in terms of trade, particularly agricultural products for Ukraine, it is essential for the EU regarding connectivity to the South Caucasus and the Middle East. The Black Sea is a key part of the trans-Caspian corridor, which connects Europe with the South Caucasus, the Caspian Sea, and Central Asia. Maritime trade routes of global relevance, critical infrastructure, and energy reserves define its strategic importance. For the EU and its member states, access to alternative trade and transit routes to Central Asia and China, in addition to the Northern route via Russia and to resources from the Caspian region, has become more important since 2022.