title: Introduction
abstract: The introductory chapter investigates the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Black Sea region, with particular emphasis on the European Union (EU) and Russia following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. It contextualises the competing strategies of regime promotion employed by the EU and Russia in their neighbourhood and the implications for regional stability. The EU’s traditional strategy of authority-based democracy promotion is juxtaposed with Russia’s 