A military drone may not be the only thing the U.S. is missing in the Black Sea.
The dramatic encounter with Russian fighter jets this week drew the world’s attention to the body of water that has been at the heart of the war in Ukraine.
But it also raised a key security question for Washington and its allies: Is there a clear strategy for a critical waterway that has long been central to the rivalry between Moscow and the West and could now become a major flashpoint?
Lawmakers and former military officials said the answer is of particular concern as a deal to let critical supplies of grain exit Ukraine’s ports on the Black Sea sits in the balance and Russia’s fleet uses the area as a launchpad for attacks against Ukrainian cities.
Depths of conflict
Described by some as “a potential powder keg,” the Black Sea is slightly larger than California and has six countries on its coast: NATO members Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria as well as Georgia and Ukraine, which are considered U.S. partners but are not part of the alliance.
And then there’s Russia.
At one time, the U.S. helped allies match its presence in the Black Sea and performed exercises there, but the Biden administration pulled American ships from the area when it appeared the Russians were preparing to invade Ukraine. Turkey is now stopping warships from entering the sea through the Bosphorus Strait, which it controls and can close during times of war.
That means the U.S. has no means to recover the drone, which the U.S. said it brought down in the Black Sea on Tuesday after a Russian fighter jet collided with it.
“It points to the lack of a comprehensive approach to a region that is important, not just to our allies and to the countries bordering the Black Sea, but it’s important to the United States’ security as well,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told NBC News of America’s diminished military role in the area.
The U.S. does not have a ship in the area to recover the wreckage, and the…
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