Новые риски и угрозы безопасности России в Азово-Черноморском регионе

Abstract

Several unsettled problems of determining the legal status of water areas and setting new sea borders or confirming the existing ones, makes the Azov-Black Sea region one of the most problematic areas for Russia. Solving these problems may require decades. Russia not only faces the need to protect its state borders, marine environment and resources, and provide the safety of navigation, but also has to prevent possible provocations linked to non-recognition of state affiliation of the Crimea and the sea areas around it under Russia’s sovereign jurisdiction. Russia’s leadership must not allow even partial internationalization of these marine spaces through lowering their current legal status that would lead to the emergence of legal interests of the third parties. It is also important to preserve the balance of security interests that, in the Azov Sea, can only be provided by Russia and Ukraine. In the Black Sea, this balance should be ensured exclusively by the Black Sea states, without engaging any extraregional actors.