Black Sea port access stokes Russia-Ukraine tensions
Georgia war fans Kiev's fears of Crimea takeover
09.20.2008
McClatchy Newspapers
SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine — As the Kremlin seeks to reassert its sphere of influence around its borders and beyond, this home port for Russia's Black Sea fleet — marooned in the south of Ukraine after the breakup of the Soviet Union — has moved to the center of tensions between Russia and U.S. allies in the region.
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Some Ukrainian politicians worry that Russia will stoke anti-Western sentiments in Sevastopol and cities around it on the Crimean peninsula to create an opportunity to annex the area, the way Moscow did with two breakaway provinces in Georgia last month, or at least use its considerable influence here to push the central government in Kiev to drop plans to join the European Union and NATO.
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Comments: 7
Thanks for re-posting this. NPR had a piece about this a couple of weeks ago as well.
The strategic problem for Russia (and Sandi, this may be why the Russians are dealing with Syria) is that absent the Black Sea, Russia now has no ports for its navy that don't freeze in winter. Everything else is too far north... but with Ukraine now an independent country leaning farther and farther towards NATO and the EU, the likelihood of the Russian lease on Sevastopol in 2017 being renewed is very small.
To get a better understanding of Russia’s actions go to my blog Russia’s Quest for Dominance Means Dire Consequenc...