New Strategy Center organized, on Friday, May 22, within the framework of the GLOBSEC security forum in Prague, a roundtable discussion dedicated to the security situation in the Black Sea region: “Troubled Waters and Strategic Stakes: The Black Sea in a Changing Security Order.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moderated by Lt. Gen. (ret.) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe and member of NSC’s International Consultative Board, the event examined threats posed by the Russian Federation in the region, risks to freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, connectivity and energy projects and their impact at the European level, as well as defense investments made by NATO countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The discussions also addressed the impact of the reassessment of the U.S. military posture in Europe, the implications for NATO’s Eastern Flank, and the importance of maintaining a U.S. presence at key strategic points across Europe. Participants also referred to the strategic corridors linking Europe with the Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as the Baltic Sea with the Mediterranean Sea, underlining the evident importance of the Black Sea. Other topics included dual-use infrastructure and military mobility. Speakers at the NSC event included Kiril Petkov, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria; Lieutenant General Iulian Berdilă, Deputy Chief of Defense for Operations and Training; General (ret.) Chris Badia, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (NATO ACT); and Admiral (ret.) Ihor Kabanenko, former Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine.