Naval vessels participate in the Sea Breeze 23.3 exercises | Photo: X @Sprinter99800

Sea Breeze 23.3 begins today in the Black Sea and Danube Delta.

Romania, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, and Ukraine are expected to participate in the four-day multilateral drills intended to support minesweeping capabilities.

The exercises occur as Moscow continues to reject the Black Sea Grain Deal. Most recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the UN’s proposal to restore the grain deal, arguing that his demands to remove barriers to Russian exports of food and fertilizer have not been met.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over a year ago, Moscow has laid mines in the Black Sea that have blocked Ukrainian ports and threatened international commercial shipping and grain exports.

In response to Russia’s military presence in the region, the United States and NATO have explored alternative routes that would facilitate grain exports. One of the proposed strategies would be to cooperate with Romania to establish a grain corridor through the western coast of the Black Sea. The Russian strategy is unlikely to change in the near term, given Moscow’s current dominance in the region and friendly ties with Ankara. Moving forward, Turkey is expected to continue its balancing act between the West and Russia, in the hopes of emerging as the preeminent player in the Black Sea.