The Black Sea region: Beyond NATO

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15 December 2021 at 12:30 13:45 GMT

Join Prof. Mark Galeotti, Alicia Kearns MP, Orysia Lutsevych, James Rogers, and Andriy Zahorodniuk to discuss the Black Sea region.

About this event

The Black Sea region is at risk of becoming an anarchic environment where insecurity reigns amid Russian domination. Russia’s military adventures, modulated build-ups – most recently in November 2021 – and destabilising proxy and covert operations have decisively changed the balance of power in the region. Not only are Georgia and Ukraine in further jeopardy, but the Euro-Atlantic order is also under threat. The current migrant crisis on the eastern border of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the recent Russian military build-up next to Ukraine are reminders of why the British presence not only in Eastern Europe, but also in the Black Sea region, matters.

Indeed, if the Black Sea is allowed to become a ‘Russian lake’, it might encourage other revisionist powers encroaching on the region, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It will also have direct implications for access to the Eastern Mediterranean, a crucial region as European countries, not least the United Kingdom (UK), attempt to ‘tilt’ towards the Indo-Pacific.

By kind invitation of The Lord Risby, join Prof. Mark Galeotti, Alicia Kearns MP, Orysia Lutsevych, James Rogers, and Andriy Zagorodnyuk as they discuss possible frameworks and initiatives to boost regional security on the Black Sea region, including plurilateral initiatives modelled on the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, which was set up to reinforce in the Wider Baltic.

Speakers

Prof. Mark Galeotti

  • Director, Mayak Intelligence Ltd.
  • Ernest Bevin Associate Fellow in Euro-Atlantic Geopolitics, Council on Geostrategy

Alicia Kearns MP

  • Member of Parliament for Rutland and Melton
  • Member, Foreign Affairs Select Committee, House of Commons

Orysia Lutsevych

  • Head, Ukraine Forum, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House

James Rogers

  • Co-founder and Director of Research, Council on Geostrategy

Andriy Zahorodniuk

  • Chair, Centre for Defence Strategies
  • Minister of Defence of Ukraine (2019-2020)

Chair

The Lord Risby

  • Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Algeria and Lebanon, House of Lords
  • Chair, Advisory Council, Council on Geostrategy

Venue

This event will be hosted at the In and Out Club, 4 St. James’ Square.