The US Strategy in the Black Sea Region Is Falling Apart

The US Nationwide Safety Council (NSC) is presently working to develop a Black Sea safety and growth technique throughout authorities companies.

The present Nationwide Protection Authorization Act already outlines a number of pillars of that technique that may successfully be boiled all the way down to “preserve Russia and China out and the US and NATO in.”

What that envisions is an arc of “rules-based order” states from the Caspian to the Adriatic that might enable the US to train management over the motion of power and items by the area, and particularly within the South Caucasus, which is positioned on the intersection of burgeoning East-West and North-South transport corridors. As Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien put it earlier than the latest Senate Overseas Relations Committee subcommittee listening to “The Way forward for Europe”:

[We are] are working to foster deeper cooperation among the many Black Sea states. However there stay challenges to democracy in some quarters, the place backsliding is a major concern. We should keep our deal with international locations like Georgia, working with like minded companions to advertise measures that strengthen democracy and incentivize a return by these governments to a Euro-Atlantic path. In Russia’s periphery, we search to assist these international locations which have struggled between the pull of EU accession and the strain of Russia’s autocracy, and work with these leaders to get them out of the ‘gray zone’ and into western-style democracies. We’re constructing a path for international locations within the Western Balkans, Moldova, and the Caucasus unbiased of malign affect from the PRC and Russia. Some elites in that periphery are bucking in opposition to making the onerous reforms wanted to hitch the EU and NATO. We should work collectively to make sure these reforms are performed.

It’s an bold aim. It’s additionally been an entire catastrophe up to now. Most often, states within the area should not saying no thanks to US entreaties, ignoring its threats, and so they’re shifting nearer to Russia and China.

US officers like O’Brien can speak about democracy all they need, however international locations like Azerbaijan, Georgia, and all-important Türkiye are refusing to sacrifice their nationwide pursuits with a purpose to additional the targets of American capital. Solely landlocked Armenia is adhering to the US technique because it follows Washington’s lead on its peace course of with Azerbaijan, turns over its authorities to American advisors, and poisons its lengthy ties with Moscow. Extra on that beneath, however let’s first check out the power scenario and the international locations which can be turning their backs on Washington.

The US Can’t Exclude Russia from the Area’s Power Structure

Central to the US plans is that it and its shopper states management the movement of power assets from the Caspian area to the Black Sea and onto Europe. The US envisions this being performed with none participation of Russia, however this ignores how built-in Russia is with its neighbors to the south — and the way useful that relationship is for international locations of the area.

With out even entering into Ukraine’s potential lack of its complete Black Sea shoreline, it’s nonetheless unhealthy information for Washington. Let’s take Türkiye. The Atlantic Council sums up the US place when is says “Türkiye can develop into an power hub—however not by going all-in on Russian fuel.” Washington needs Türkiye solely to switch fuel from Azerbaijan and from throughout the Caspian. However right here’s what is definitely taking place.

In response to S&P World, Russian fuel provide in July by way of the TurkStream pipeline to southeast Europe reached the second-highest month-to-month quantity stage because the pipeline started operations in 2020.

Within the by no means ending comedy that’s the EU making an attempt to wean itself off of Russian fuel, Türkiye is even providing to extend the movement by the Turkstream pipeline into Europe. Ankara will, after all, accede to EU calls for and solely ship fuel from Azerbaijan. Then it would flip round and purchase extra fuel from Russia for its home wants.

Cash that was once spent by the EU on Russian pure fuel is just shifted to Türkiye, however the income for Russia stays the identical, kind of.

It’s a little bit of a headache as Ankara must re-export the Azeri fuel, however they make a pleasant little revenue. For instance, Türkiye and Bulgaria signed a deal in 2023 to allow Bulgaria’s state-owned Bulgargaz to import 1.85 billion cubic meters of fuel per 12 months. Bulgargaz has to pay a 2 billion euro service payment to Türkiye over a 13-year interval. Türkiye is on the lookout for an identical deal from the EU earlier than additional increasing Turkstream capability. The EU, determined to maintain up the phantasm that it’s efficiently navigating the top of Russian pipelines, can have little choice however to just accept any Turkish calls for.

The West is making an attempt comparable math video games elsewhere.Whereas Ukraine’s contract to transit pure fuel from Russia to Europe ends on the finish of this 12 months, and there have been no indicators it is going to be renewed, EU officers need to use the pipelines to transit Azeri fuel as a substitute.

That is the place it will get difficult. Azerbaijan has no entry to the Ukrainian pipeline community, and the Azerbaijan pipeline to the EU is already at full capability. In response to Bloomberg, the EU is proposing a “swap” with Russia offering “Azeri” fuel to the EU, whereas Azerbaijan sends “Russian” fuel elsewhere. How precisely these particulars get labored out stays to be seen, however it might presumably enable EU officers to pat themselves on the again and say they’ve reduce off Russian pipeline fuel fully.

In the meantime, the plan would add to the ludicrousness of the EU efforts as even the fuel that’s piped from Azerbaijan by the South Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Pure Gasoline Pipeline, and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline has a Russian taste to it. On account of Russian firms’ massive investments within the Azerbaijani oil and fuel sector, it is without doubt one of the larger beneficiaries of Brussels’ efforts to extend power imports from Azerbaijan with a purpose to exchange Russian provides. Azerbaijan can be importing extra Russian fuel itself with a purpose to meet its obligations to Europe.

The one spot the place the US achieves a few of its targets is the continued operations of ExxonMobil and Chevron in Kazakhstan that ship the oil to the Black Sea. The nice irony there’s that success requires the cooperation of none aside from Russia. ExxonMobil and Chevron are the most important shareholders within the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which carries oil from Kazakhstan to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk and onto the worldwide market. The vast majority of the CPC exports go to Europe and have traditionally supplied about six % of the EU’s whole crude imports.

The US Will get Determined in Georgia 

When earlier this 12 months Georgia handed a international brokers regulation — which requires NGOs and media shops that obtain greater than 20 % of their funding from overseas to register as such with the federal government — it was the surest signal but that the present authorities was turning away from the West. The reporting requirement for foreign-funded teams makes it tougher for US- and EU-backed organizations to inconspicuously cook dinner up colour revolution makes an attempt.

The West is predictably taking a scorched earth strategy, full with sanctions and a halt to Georgia’s EU accession course of. Extra measures are working their manner by the US Congress with the purpose of passing them earlier than Georgia’s October elections:

Conflict felony Putin shouldn’t be allowed to form way forward for Georgia says @RepJoeWilson the writer of MEGOBARI act in US Congress pic.twitter.com/FnveOENCra

— Components NEWS | English (@FormulaGe) July 12, 2024

It’s seemingly that the West can be getting ready for an additional regime change try centered round this fall’s parliamentary elections. Georgia is already starting to crack down on returning members of the Georgian Legion — a bunch of anti-Russian mercenaries combating in Ukraine — who it says are plotting makes an attempt to overthrow the federal government in Tbilisi. Moscow has additionally supplied help to the federal government in Georgia in thwarting any destabilization makes an attempt. Why such the uproar over tiny Georgia?

Assistant Secretary of State O’Brien talked about one of many causes just lately earlier than the Senate Overseas Relations subcommittee. To ensure that the US to name off the canine, he stated Georgia should finish its settlement with China to assemble a deep-water port on its Black Beach. There may be additionally the Russian plan to reactivate a small Soviet-era army facility in Abkhazia.

This all runs counter to the US plans for Georgia, which embrace a transit route connecting central Asia and its huge assets of power, metals, coal, and cotton to Europe and subsea energy cables connecting South Caucasus power to the EU.

Turkiye Prepares to Soar Ship

Türkiye controls passage to and from the Black Sea by the Bosphorus Strait and the Dardanelles and may ban the passage of naval vessels from non-littoral international locations beneath the Montreux Conference, which it has steadfastly performed since Feb. 2022.

However the Atlantic Council has a plan to alter all that, which is “To have interaction Turkey, make it a part of the plan.”

This highlights a central downside with the US and possibly its most vital (attributable to geographical components) NATO “ally”: the failure to account for Türkiye’s pursuits when formulating plans. It’s a protracted working grievance from Ankara that its considerations are ignored whereas it’s anticipated to behave as a dutiful frontline soldier to guard the pursuits of American capital. This elementary disconnect is lastly coming to a head, and whereas letting Ankara have some enter on the alliance’s course feels like a naked minimal sensible transfer, what signal is there that the hubristic neocons are even able to such humility?

Nonetheless, the Atlantic Council’s concept is flatter the gullible Turks by bringing them in on the plan, which to make use of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Job Pressure—launched in January 2024 as a trilateral initiative between Bulgaria, Romania, and Türkiye to clear their territorial waters of floating mines — as a Trojan Horse for getting warships into the Black Sea. Shockingly, Türkiye continues to withstand such efforts — regardless that the Atlantic Council defined to Türkiye on the time of July NATO summit in Washington what are in its greatest pursuits:

Türkiye should perceive that whereas it could acquire quick advantages from commerce and power cooperation with Russia, its financial and safety pursuits are intently aligned with the West, not with autocratic regimes reminiscent of China and Russia. Doing enterprise with sanctioned, unstable, and undemocratic international locations is a significant geopolitical danger and comes at an enormous financial price. Russia’s economic system has develop into a struggle economic system, and there’s not a lot future in doing enterprise with Moscow, particularly with the prospect of secondary sanctions looming.

That is consultant of the mind rot in Washington that refuses to acknowledge different international locations pursuits and finally can’t or is not going to supply something greater than threats of extra sanctions or different measures. In some ways this specific Atlantic Council argument shouldn’t be almost as bombastic as different assume tank screeds and official statements that demand Türkiye do as it’s commanded or…or else!

Say what you’ll about Russia or China, however with regards to worldwide relations they sometimes attempt to respect different international locations pursuits and purpose for the much-loved “win-win” agreements, which, importantly, they often uphold. In Türkiye, which is a regional energy and the place a big phase of nationalists harbor goals of an ottoman world energy within the twenty first century, that strategy performs effectively. For all these causes Türkiye is shifting forward deepening financial and diplomatic ties with Moscow and Beijing.

A lot is manufactured from what an personal aim US coverage scored when it managed to drive Russia and China collectively. Probably simply as spectacular is how American neocons have performed the identical with Türkiye and Russia. And it’s throughout the board — enterprise ties, people-to-people ties, and governments. Most often, the step up in Türkiye-Russia relations occurred with a direct help from US coverage. Contemplate simply the next three examples:

On nuclear power: Türkiye inaugurated its first nuclear energy plant final 12 months — a significant event within the nation because it joined the ranks of nuclear energy nations. Russia’s Rosatom financed and is constructing the plant that may present roughly 10 % of Türkiye’s power wants as soon as absolutely accomplished. However the backstory entails 50 years of Türkiye making an attempt to get the West to construct it a nuclear plant, which by no means got here to cross.
On protection: Ankara had requested NATO a number of instances because the Nineteen Nineties to deploy early warning techniques and Patriot missiles (with tech switch) to Türkiye, however Washington repeatedly refused. In 2017 Russia bought Türkiye its S-400 missile protection techniques, that are arguably superior to something the West has.
On commerce and tourism,  the proxy struggle in opposition to Russia in Ukraine is the reward that retains giving to Türkiye-Russia relations. Russian companies have been organising store in Türkiye as a bypass route round Western sanctions. Russian tourism to Türkiye has gone by the roof attributable to journey restrictions put in place by the EU, and the rise got here as a significant enhance to Türkiye’s floundering economic system. Win-win, as they are saying.

Catastrophe for Armenia, Success for the West?

A lot of the US plan to salvage something from its Black Sea mess now rests on poor Armenia.

Assistant Secretary of State O’Brien informed the Senate subcommittee that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen “created a brand new platform for Pashinyan a number of months in the past” that’s permitting the Armenian authorities to interrupt away from Russia.

Not less than publicly, the US and EU have dedicated hardly something to Armenia. The EU just lately launched a four-year 270 million Euro fund to assist “deliver Armenia into the Western fold.” Truly bringing Armenia into the EU would require considerably greater than that, particularly if Russia determined to reduce financial ties with Yerevan. As Fitch Scores notes, Armenia’s economic system depends considerably on Russia for each commerce and power. For instance, Armenia additionally presently pays Russia $165 per thousand cubic meters of fuel, effectively beneath the market value in Europe, and Russia is Armenia’s primary buying and selling companion. In response to the Armenian authorities information, it accounted final 12 months for over 35 % of the South Caucasus nation’s international commerce, in contrast with the EU’s 13 % share within the whole.

Nonetheless, the US takeover of Armenia continues. Final month, a State Division official stated {that a} consultant of the US armed forces can be stationed within the Armenian Protection Ministry. Armenian Beneath Secretary for Civilian Safety, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya confirmed the choice, saying: “We welcome the deepening of civil protection and safety cooperation between the US and Armenia. This marks a brand new part within the strategic partnership between our international locations.”

Certainly.

There appear to be two targets to the US technique on the subject of Armenia. The primary is to show it in opposition to Russia. To this finish, the Armenian authorities and far of the media now blames Russia for any lack of territory within the nation’s decades-long disputes with Azerbaijan. This, after all, is unnecessary, however it’s a line pushed relentlessly.

In the meantime, Armenia continues to deliver its armed forces as much as NATO requirements and improve interoperability. Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov just lately outlined Russia’s concern:

“I hope, Yerevan is conscious that any deepening of cooperation with the alliance could lead to its dropping sovereignty within the sphere of nationwide protection and safety,” Russia’s high diplomat stated…

“This can’t however trigger our concern. We’ve repeatedly drawn the eye of our Armenian colleagues to the truth that NATO’s true aim is to strengthen its positions within the area and create situations for manipulation primarily based on the ‘divide and conquer’ scheme,” Lavrov concluded.

The second part of the US technique to make use of Armenia to additional its targets within the area entails the more and more vital transportation hyperlinks within the area. Each China-led East-West routes and Russia- and India-led North-South routes depend on passing by the Caucasus.

We are able to return to O’Brien’s Nov. 15 feedback throughout “The Way forward for Nagorno-Karabakh” Home committee listening to for perception on the US intentions concerning these routes. Right here’s what O’Brien stated:

“A future that’s constructed across the entry of Russia and Iran as the principle individuals within the safety of the area, the South Caucasus, is unstable and undesirable, together with for each the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia. They’ve the chance to make a distinct choice now.”

O’Brien additional defined Washington’s choice for a land hall between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave to run by Armenia. So right here we get to the purpose of the US efforts.

If the US cements peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, will get an settlement on a commerce hall by Armenia, and continues to manage Armenia, effectively, it then controls the commerce hall. That will be successful for the US.

“In our [U.S.] view, there’s a once-in-a-generation — perhaps a number of generations — alternative to construct a commerce route from Central Asia throughout to the Mediterranean. That may come provided that there’s peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” O’Brien says.

A central query for different international locations of the area: why would they need worldwide transport routes by the area managed by the Individuals? The reply is they don’t.

Russia and Iran are clearly against the American plans to chop them out. Iran, particularly, worries a few NATO Turan Hall which sees the West hyperlink up hypothetical shopper states all through central Asia.

Azerbaijan and Türkiye — two linchpins to any US Zangezur Hall deal — have proven no inclination to go alongside. They would like to work with the international locations which can be truly within the area somewhat than get on board with an American plan to destabilize the neighborhood.

There have just lately been experiences that the hall by Armenia is being dropped from the general peace plan as Armenia doesn’t need it, and Azerbaijan doesn’t need it beneath US management. It positive can be a shrewd transfer from Baku if it will get all of the territorial concessions it wished from the US-led peace course of solely to again out of the one part of the deal that the US truly cares about.

Azerbaijan has all the time most popular to work with the opposite international locations of the area on the difficulty, however has participated within the US-led course of at Armenia’s insistence. Azerbaijan’s president is definitely internet hosting Putin at present and the 2 sides are signing a number of agreements increasing cooperation and creating the international locations’ strategic partnership.

This was all the time Armenia’s different choice: come to agreements with neighbors somewhat than be utilized by a declining energy a world away which is more and more greedy at straws.

As an alternative it’s now in a scenario the place all the opposite international locations of the area are working collectively in pursuit of extra logistical integration, in addition to a need to maintain the West from sabotaging these efforts. This places Armenia on a collision course with its neighbors, because the US would work to sabotage any hall settlement it could’t management, and Armenia’s neighbors is not going to tolerate a US-controlled hall. When that occurs, it’ll be one more fiasco for US international coverage. And it is going to be a catastrophe for Armenia whose pals within the West will be unable to supply any significant protection assist.