“The United States has proven its commitment to the security of the Black Sea region, and it has supported the newer NATO members in their efforts to focus the attention of the alliance on their needs.” – Alina Inayeh
With Romania and Bulgaria joining the alliance in 2004, bringing up to three—with Turkey—the number of littoral member states, NATO became an even more serious presence in the Black Sea. Georgia and Ukraine aspired to join the alliance as well, yet in 2008 they were famously denied the first entry step in the form of a Membership Action Plan. Back then, few …read more