Speakers:

• Dimitrios Triantaphyllou, Professor of International Politics at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences and Program Director at the Institute for International Relations (IDIS), Athens
• Maria Simeonova, Head of Sofia office at the European Council on Foreign Relations
• Marian Zulean, Professor at the University of Bucharest, Romania
• Carolina Bogatiuc, Moldovan Policy Fellow on EU affairs and co-founder of the civic movement Inițiativa Europeană, previously Head of Cabinet to Nicu Popescu, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova

Moderation:

• Tim Judah, Special Correspondent for Ukraine, Balkans, and European demography, The Economist

On the topic

The Black Sea is of great geopolitical importance for Europe's security. Russia’s attack and the war in Ukraine pose major security challenges for the Black Sea region in terms of its military relevance and for maritime trade routes. The increasing threat from Russia towards Europe and at the same time a possible withdrawal of US forces from Europe require the European Union (EU) to focus more strongly on the Black Sea region in terms of security policy and strategy. In May 2025, the EU consequently announced a new Strategy for a secure, prosperous and resilient Black Sea Region. At the NATO summit in The Hague in June 2025 the threat to Europe's security from Russia played a key role.

Together with our experts and authors of SEE in Focus 3/2025, we will look at the role of those littoral states that border directly on the Black Sea and, as part of the post-communist space, could form a buf-fer zone to the West from a Russian perspective: On the one hand, these are Bulgaria and Romania, both NATO and EU members. On the other hand, the focus will be on the specific situation of the Republic of Moldova, considering its recent candidate status for the EU but also the threat stemming from Russia’s control over Transnistria. By bringing together regional perspectives and expert insights, the event aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the Black Sea’s growing importance for Europe’s future stability and security.