MAGAZINE
FALL 2021
NATO & BLACK SEA SECURITY
By Canadian Army Lieutenant Colonel Michael B . PATRICK , LANDCOM G5 and Liam A . B . PATRICK
T here is very little agreement on the definition of ‘ security ’ no matter the level at which the term is applied . This is due to the multiple , perhaps innumerable , variables that can be applied to the concept and , accordingly , an inability to achieve consensus of definition . It is intuitive that security implies an absence of , or reasonable ability to counter , threat . However , the qualification of what is threatening and what is threatened is equally challenging . Even more elusive is consensus in creating an ‘ absence of threat ’ which could achieve the security sought . It is for such reasons that discussing subsets , such as physical or economic security , is often preferred .
Applying this less-than-precise idea to the Black Sea Region is very challenging due to the region ’ s unique nature . The Black Sea itself is an internationally shared resource surrounded by a limited number of heterogeneous nations who view this resource in fundamentally different ways . In this regard , access to and exploitation of the Black Sea has wide-reaching security implications for each nation . However , depending upon the nation discussed , the breadth and depth of the security implications vary from existential ( if the resource itself is viewed as a requirement to overarching security ) to something more akin to economic ( if the resource either requires security to exploit or enables an aspect or a limited subset of security ). Russia ’ s view of the Black Sea aligns with the former and is multi-faceted ; the Black Sea is simultaneously a source of economic wealth , an enabler to economic growth and leverage , a strategic gateway to the Mediterranean and beyond , and a buffer to out-of-region instability .
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To put it simply , the resolution to an international issue arising from sharing a resource follows one of three principles : dominance ( control by a single entity ), reciprocity ( an arrangement which mandates collective behaviour and punishes infractions ) or identity ( the sharing of common interests based upon identification within a group ). Historically , the principle of dominance has been favoured by Russia while reciprocity has more recently ensured that sufficient security existed . Presently , however , a lack of regional security is perceived , and NATO is sought to ameliorate this issue .
This paper briefly examines the history of the Black Sea Region ; outlining the interplay of dominance and reciprocity pertinent to regional security . It further assesses the current security situation and argues , while NATO has taken actions that have increased the relative level of security of its member and partner nations residing within the Black Sea Region , overall regional security remains elusive . It concludes by noting the advocacy for Alliance creation or imposition of Black Sea security requires both coherence in approach , and cognizance of limitations .
RUSSIAN REGIONAL DOMINANCE Russian imperial expansion southward into the region began as early as 1637 , under Tsar Mihal Romanov , and advanced with mixed success until the 18th Century wherein the security associated with an expanded empire , including assured access to warm-water ports and beyond , became the Russian goal . Between 1768 and 1774 , the protracted conflict between Russia and the Ottoman Empire ( 1768-1774 ) saw the former gain access to the region via the ports of Kerch and Azov . Nine