On Tuesday, 28 May, the Permanent Delegation of Romania to NATO organised a round table at the North Atlantic Alliance headquarters in Brussels to present the study “The Battle for the Black Sea is not over”, conducted by the New Strategy Center and the Hudson Institute. George Scutaru, CEO of the New Strategy Center and Matthew Boyse, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, participated and the session was moderated by Vlad Ionescu, Deputy Head of Romania’s Mission to NATO.
The authors addressed the strategic relevance of the Black Sea on multiple levels, possible scenarios for the evolution of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and made proposals for increasing deterrence and defence capabilities. The importance of freedom of navigation, energy stakes and the impact of regional and global food security were also outlined in the presentations. Discussions also highlighted the strategic importance of the Danube for connectivity, trade and military mobility.

The event was attended by civilian and military experts from NATO state missions and various Alliance structures. The event was a good opportunity to underline the need to support Ukraine in resisting the Russian invasion and to mention the efforts Romania is making to support Ukraine in maintaining freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
The study was launched on 16 April in Washington and presented on 23 May at this year’s Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum in Bucharest. These events are part of the NSC’s efforts to contribute to understanding the strategic relevance of the Black Sea and to promote Romania’s security interests.
The NSC is grateful to H.E. Dan Neculaescu and the Romanian Permanent Delegation to NATO for their support.