New Strategy Center participated in the Defence24 Day conference in Poland on 24-25 May, an important event focusing on the military, political, economic and social consequences of the Russian Federation’s large-scale aggression against Ukraine.

The New Strategy Center organised the conference panel “The Battle of the Black Sea. The Key to stabilizing the region”, focused on the strategic importance of the Black Sea region in the context of the war in Ukraine, both in terms of its military, energy, freedom of navigation and its role in the functioning of the Ukrainian economy and state as a whole.

The discussions highlighted the relevance of access to the Black Sea and its role in the effective defence of Ukrainian sovereignty, the role of the Snake Island and the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea region. Discussions also focused on Russia’s long-term strategic objectives in the region, including in the light of the hybrid threats to Moldova.

The panel was moderated by BG (ret.) Eduard Simion, Senior Associate Expert New Strategy Center. The speakers were: MG (ret.) Vakhtang Kapanadze, former Chief of General Staff of Georgia, Yordan Bozhilov, Director, Sofia Security Forum, MG (ret.) Paul Hurmuz, Senior Associate Expert New Strategy Center and  Witold Repetowicz, Assistant professor, Department of National Security of the Academy of War Studies.

The presence of the New Strategy Center at Defense24 Day 2023 is part of the efforts that the NSC has consistently undertaken since its establishment to promote the strategic relevance of the Black Sea.