Russia’s War Against Ukraine: Its Impact on Romania’s Black Sea Policy

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has, for the first time, catapulted the Black Sea region to the forefront of international security. For the foreign policy community in Bucharest, however, the Black Sea region has been the number one security concern for decades. This chapter explores Romania’s Black Sea policy’s development prior to and in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Since becoming a member of NATO and the EU, Bucharest’s bipartisan number one strategic aim for the region has been to “Westernise” the Black Sea. With this aim in mind, Romania has lobbied its most important strategic partner, the US and its European allies, for greater investment in Black Sea security. Romania has been a staunch supporter of Moldova’s integration into the EU and Ukraine’s and Georgia’s accession to both the EU and NATO. Despite the fact that there have been a number of laudable initiatives and proposals on deepening Black Sea security, we still lack an integrated, fully aligned and compelling vision and strategy. Russian aggression has drawn our attention. No matter how the ongoing Ukraine war ends, Russian foreign policy is seen from the region as a threat that is likely to persist in the years ahead.