Black Sea Policy of the United States of America in the Post-Cold War Era

This article examines the Black Sea policy of the USA that is one of the main players of the new “Great Game”. First of all, basic foreign policy goals of Washington in the post-Cold War era were determined. Next, Black Sea policy of the USA was discussed by analyzing its goals, instruments and policy toward regional problems. In the Post-Cold War era, while defining the Black Sea region, besides BSEC, the concept of “Wider Black Sea” is being used with the influence of new “Great Game”. After the collapse of USSR, USA, aiming to maintain its hegemony by announcing “new world order”, considers the Black Sea as its “sphere of vital interest”. The main idea of “the Grand Chessboard” and “the Wider Black Sea”, which are in parallel with the American strategy documents, is to prevent potential rivals to become real ones and anti-US regional coalitions. NATO, through membership or cooperation, plays an important role in building “whole and free Europe”, in other words, integrating the region with the Western system. From the US point of view, NATO is the main provider of security for the Euroatlantic region, which includes the Black Sea. Besides NATO, through assistance programs, “the rose and orange revolutions”, USA tries to prevent Russian effect in the region. The discourses of “resolving regional conflicts” and “energy security” are also intended for reducing the Russian control.