U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) recently introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill to ensure the United States plays a more proactive role in the Black Sea region by establishing a formal U.S. strategy to bolster security and encourage trade there.
Rep. Turner and U.S. Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) offered the House of Representatives version of the Black Sea Security Act of 2023. It is the companion to S. 804, introduced on March 15 by U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Mitt Romney (R-UT).
“The United States will not sit idly by and let autocrats like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping gain control of the Black Sea,” Rep. Turner said on March 16. “I am proud to partner with Congressman Keating and introduce this bipartisan, bicameral legislation, which strengthens the United States and our allies’ presence in the Black Sea region by expanding energy imports, digital infrastructure, and economic development.
“When the United States leads, the world follows,” added Rep. Turner. “The Black Sea Security Act is the roadmap we need to counter our adversaries and defend democracy abroad.”
The Black Sea region includes Ukraine, Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Turkey, which are U.S. strategic partners, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Turner’s office, and the region also has economic value as a transportation hub, including for grain exports from Ukraine and energy products from the Caspian Sea.
“The Departments of State and Defense have been working for years developing a U.S. strategy for how we can best bolster security and stability in the region,” said Rep. Keating. “This legislation formalizes those efforts and provides greater certainty for our partners in the region going forward.”
Specifically, the bill would call for an interagency strategy to increase military assistance and coordination with NATO and the European Union, stronger economic ties, strengthened democracy and economic security, and enhanced security assistance with Black Sea countries, the summary says.