It has absolutely no strategic importance to us.
Get your world map out and take a look at how easy it is to plug the whole of the black sea off to the rest of the world as far as ocean going shipping.
Even the Baltic region.
Yet, not one is paying any attention to the Pacific rim and what the implications are there to this country.
Again, take your world map and look at how close this country is to Russia-if that is the boogeyman, and understand the strategic value of that region to us.
I prefer for both sides to lose.
But yes China is the real threat. However, your argument of they are so far away would apply to China as well. To be honest the best way to deal with China is to stop doing business with them.