Ukraine and the Black Sea: Historical Experience of the Struggle for Security and Statehood in Confrontation with Russian Expansion, Mid-17th –Early 18th centuries

Abstract

This presentation is devoted to the analysis of the historical aspects of the Black Sea dimension of Ukrainian statehood and security in the mid-17th to early 18th centuries. It focuses on the struggle for access to the Black Sea as a key factor in shaping Ukraine’s security policy and economic development in the context of confrontation with Russian aggression. The interests of other regional powers are also briefly examined. The paper emphasizes that since the times of Kyivan Rus’, and later during the Cossack-Hetmanate, access to the sea and control over Black Sea communications determined Ukraine’s international status, its ability to conduct foreign trade, and its capacity to ensure strategic security.