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Article: The Russian Perspective - The Crisis In The Caucasus & Black Sea.
- Article from:
- APS Review Downstream Trends
- Article date:
- September 1, 2008
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Russia has gained de facto control over two major Black Sea ports - Sukhumi and Poti. Critics of the Bush administration's strategy say that, even if the US-backed President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine creates obstacles for the Russian fleet based in the Crimean port of Sevastopol - in all probability, Moscow will shrug off any Ukrainian pressure tactic - the fleet now has access to alternative ports on the Black Sea. Poti, in particular, has excellent facilities dating to the Soviet era. But other critics of the Bush strategy say the next big battle will be Ukraine, with a focus on its Crimean Peninsula.
In his Aug. 30 article in Asia Times Online of Aug. 30, ...