Britain & Russia Lock Horn Over Crimea’s Black Sea: Is this Cold War 2.0?

By Mehak Kulaar

In today’s time, it’s not every day when we hear 2 countries locking horns with one another and being upfront about it. However, it’s even more teeth grinding when it’s between countries that have a past of cold war relations (Ukraine was a part of the erstwhile USSR).

In the last week of June, it was reported that Russia and the UK had a naval confrontation in the black sea just off the coast of Ukraine’s Crimea.
Tensions between Moscow and London soared soon after Russia challenged the right of HMS Defender to transit waters near Russian-annexed Crimea, stating that the ship entered “it’s (Russia’s) territorial waters illegally”. Britain in response said it had every right to do so, as the UK along with most of the world countries recognises the black sea peninsula as a part of Ukraine and not Russia.
These accusations and provocations are nothing new to the Crimean peninsula as countries in support of Ukraine have from time to time voiced their displeasure against Russia’s forceful hold on the peninsula. Though the annexation took place in 2014, the matters behind the bold move by Russia is somewhat a scar from the past and also a need of the hour for the country itself.
What was the Crimean crisis of 2014?
In November 2013, Ukraine Government rejected a deal with the European Union for greater integration that sparked nationwide protest & downfall of the Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych tried to violently put down the protests; he was finally forced to flee in February 2014. The new interim Ukrainian government hastily decided to abolish Russian as the official language in various regions. Following this move, President Putin was served with just the right propaganda he needed to make the case that ethnic Russians inside Ukraine needed to be protected.
As the Kremlin law goes it is stated that the government is obligated to protect ‘ethnic Russians’ around the world. As it is estimated that 60 per cent of Crimea’s population is “ethnically Russian” the Kremlin was truly pushing against an open door. Russia seized control of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula with a military operation that capitalized on post-revolutionary disarray in Kyiv and caught the international community completely off-guard.
The purpose behind Russia invading & annexing the Cremean* peninsula was not just to protect the people but for the warm water ports, Crimea has, which Russia does not have owing to its geographical location. As the propaganda served its purpose, while several countries condemned the move and did not recognise the historical claim Russia made, no country rode to the rescue of Ukraine. While the annexation was seen as a forceful and illegal move, the soft power reason that Russia gave had every country stand back and watch Ukraine fend for itself.
However, it is a fact that countries who* condemn this move and have from time to time shown their silent support by sailing through the Crimean waters and not recognising it as Russia’s territory.

The problem at Present: the United Kingdom vs Russia

On 23rd June 2021, Russia stated one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of Britain’s HMS Defender that illegally sailed into the waters of Crimea that Moscow claims as its territorial waters. Britain also likes most other nations didn’t recognize Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, instead of which stated that Defender wasn’t fired upon and said it was in Ukrainian waters. “HMS Defender was conducting innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law,” said the Defense Minister of the UK. Following the Russian officials warning that if a Western warship enters the waters again, the military would bomb it. Russian President Vladimir Putin brushed off the western bloc by saying that this provocation was unlikely going to instigate a war between the two sides as it would not be possible for the west to emerge as victors.
Is this Cold War 2.0?
In the last week of June after throwing shade at one another, it seems clear that tensions between the West and Russia are on the rise yet again. The situation that arose in the black sea came days before the multinational naval manoeuvres led by Ukraine and the United States in the Black Sea, known as Sea Breeze.
A total of 32 ships, 40 aircraft and helicopters and 5,000 soldiers from 24 countries are taking part in the exercises, which last through July 10. Participating countries include the US, the United Kingdom, France, Turkey, Israel, Morocco, Japan, South Korea and Australia. Germany, which has been involved in the past, is not taking part this year. It’s the largest manoeuvres in decades after last year’s drills were shortened due to the pandemic.
Several exercises are arranged at sea, on land and in the air determined to bring Ukraine up to NATO standards. Officials likewise need to accomplish better global cooperation in regional “peacekeeping,” as indicated by a representative for Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
Sea Breeze has had special importance for Ukraine since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, which brought about the Ukrainian Navy losing a base and a few ships. The Russian Black Sea fleet was unmistakably better than the Ukrainian Navy before annexation, and it has broadened its prevalence from that point forward by presenting more warships, some even equipped with Kalibr cruise rockets.
Odessa has since become Ukraine’s principal naval force base and is often utilized by ships having a place with NATO. Due to the unequal balance of power with Russia, Sea Breeze is viewed as a method of showing global solidarity with Ukraine.
Instead of the current scenario, this year Moscow is keeping an eye on the Black Sea manoeuvres. In April, the nation’s Black Sea fleet directed an uncommonly enormous exercise in Crimea including 10,000 soldiers and 40 warships. Ships from other Russian regions were additionally deployed. Moreover, Russia has since declared parts of the Black Sea coast off Crimea off-limits to foreign vessels until late October.
According to a spokesperson with the Russian Defense Ministry, Moscow will monitor the Ukrainian-American exercises very closely and respond if necessary. Seeing the row between the two sides and President Putin’s hard stance on Western provocation, chiding it to be unsuccessful and naive. It seems clear that a full-blown war is off the table but seems like the Crimean Peninsula could lead to a cold war 2.0 as the Cuban Missile crisis led to the first cold war back in 1962.