EU unveils Black Sea security plan to counter Russia, boost trade links

By AFP and Global Watch | 2025-05-29

The European Union (EU) is looking to beef up its presence in the Black Sea and counter Russia's influence there with plans unveiled on May 28 to boost investments and better protect maritime infrastructure.

Brussels said it wants to "forge closer cooperation" with countries in the region -- bar Russia -- setting up a "maritime security hub" and strengthening trade links.

"An active role of the European Union is crucial in advancing security and peace in the Black Sea region especially with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The Black Sea is a crucial trading route for Ukraine, one of the world's largest agricultural producers and exporters, but was turned into a naval battleground when Russia invaded its neighbor.

Under a strategy put forward on May 28, the EU aims to strengthen information sharing and broaden coast-guard collaboration with Kyiv as well as with Moldova, Georgia, Türkiye, Armenia and Azerbaijan -- most of which hope to join the 27-nation bloc.

Collaboration with NATO

The foreseen maritime security hub "will be Europe's early warning system in the Black Sea," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a news conference, adding it will help protect critical infrastructure such as offshore installations and undersea cables.

The plan envisages upgrading ports, railroads and roads to improve "military mobility so troops and equipment can be where they are needed, when they are needed," Kallas said.

Trade would also benefit, the EU says.

"We want to develop new energy, transport and digital corridors in the region that will connect us to the Caucasus and Central Asia," said Marta Kos, the EU's enlargement commissioner.

Bordered by two EU countries, Romania and Bulgaria, the sea lies on a trade route linking Europe to Asia, without passing through Russia, that Brussels has been looking to foster.

A strengthened presence in the Black Sea, in collaboration with NATO, will help combat the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia, Kallas added.

Russia uses a "shadow fleet" of tankers with opaque ownership to export embargoed crude oil and petroleum products.

By concealing cargoes and destinations, these vessels sell Russian crude to buyers willing to circumvent the sanctions. The fleet primarily consists of older tankers, often purchased secondhand and registered under flags of convenience such as those of Gabon, the Cook Islands or other jurisdictions that do not enforce sanctions or standard safety regulations.

Many are owned by companies based in the United Arab Emirates or Seychelles, and some by Russia's state-run Sovcomflot shipping company.

To evade detection, many of these ships deactivate their automatic identification systems, which are beacons required to prevent collisions and track vessel movements. Doing so further obscures their activities.