An expert has warned that Vladimir Putin could continue his mission to “influence” Europe through the highly-contested Black Sea.
Dr. Leon Hartwell, an expert in conflict resolution and diplomacy, stressed that Ukraine must continue to fight and ultimately take down Russian forces in the region, or risk endangering other nations.
Putin’s prized Black Sea Fleet has taken continued losses at the hands of Ukrainian strikes, culminating in the leader firing his navy’s commander-in-chief.
As tensions continue, Dr. Hartwell, Senior Associate at LSE IDEAS, raised concern over Russia’s ability to use the Black Sea as a “gateway to projecting influence” across multiple countries.
He told the Daily Express: “For Russia, the Black Sea acts as a gateway to projecting influence across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Europe.”
READ MORE: Tell us who do you think is the worst political leader in the world
He added: “Russia’s primary base in the region is its Black Sea Fleet, headquartered in Sevastopol, Crimea, currently under Russian occupation. Sevastopol’s strategic value lies in its deep-water port, facilitating year-round military operations.”
Dr. Hartwell also raised concerns over what legally belongs to Russia compared to what they actually control – with the latter heavily outweighing the former.
He explained: “Although legally only about 10 percent of the Black Sea coastline belongs to Russia, due to the occupation of Georgian and Ukrainian territories over the past few years, it has been in control of roughly a third of the coastline.”
DON’T MISS:
Dr. Hartwell also noted how Russia has “leveraged” the Black Sea to its strategic advantage, allowing Putin to tighten his grip over imports and exports in the region.
He said: “Russia has leveraged the Black Sea as a strategic trade route, exporting grain, fertilizer, and other goods through its ports along the Black Sea.”
However, recent losses the Russian Navy in the region, suggests “the balance of power is shifting rapidly,” according to Dr. Hartwell, who concluded that Putin’s forces “can no longer operate with the same impunity [they] enjoyed in February 2022.”
