SECURITY AND STABILITY FOR THE BLACK SEA REGION - Bordered by Ukraine to the north, Russia to the northeast, and NATO allies and partners to the south and west, the security of the Black Sea region has risen to new strategic pre-eminence as an economic, geopolitical, and military focal point following the start of Russia’s war of aggression in February 2022. Russia is a malign actor in the region. It regularly conducts military operations out of the occupied Crimean Peninsula, it deploys propaganda, subversion, and disinformation tactics to hamper regional alignment with the West, and it has disrupted commercial shipping—threatening the stability and security of the littoral Black Sea states and broader Euro-Atlantic region. The strategic importance of the region was recognized by NATO in the 2022 Strategic Concept, and by the United States Congress, with the Black Sea Security Act and mention in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 05/15/2024