Welcome to The World in 10.
In an increasingly uncertain world, this is The Times' daily podcast dedicated to global security.
Today with me, Stuart Willey and Alex Dibble.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has today warned that Russia is doing everything to prevent his meeting with Vladimir Putin from taking place,
as hopes for a deal to end the nearly three-and-a-half-year war fade.
One thing, however, is clear.
Moscow's long-term strategy extends beyond Ukraine.
It aims to dominate the entire Black Sea region.
To help us understand why, our guest today is Dr Natalie Sabonadze,
a former ambassador for the country of Georgia, now with the think tank Chatham House.
Natalie, the Black Sea, perched between Europe and Asia,
is now and has long been a geopolitical tension point.
Why is this and why is it so important for Russia's strategy?
Indeed, it has been a geopolitical tension point for a very long time,
but it has been particularly important for Russia.
And I would argue from the Western point of view,
it has been rather a neglected area in terms of its importance and security implications for Europe and broader region and even Middle East.
So Russia looks at the Black Sea as essential for its own sort of post-Cold War new imperial identity.
Because after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was searching for a new type of identity.
What kind of state is it going to be?