Bush backing Georgia and Ukraine NATO bid

President Bush arrived in Ukraine during the night amid tight security and on Tuesday he vowed to press for Ukraine and Georgia to be allowed to start the process of joining NATO despite resistance from Russia.

In remarks likely to infuriate the Kremlin, Bush said Ukraine should be invited during this week’s Nato summit in Bucharest to join Nato’s membership action programme, a prelude to full membership.

According to Reuters, Washington has long lobbied for Ukraine and Georgia to be granted Membership Action Plans (MAP) at the Bucharest summit.

Russia has denounced the bids on grounds that NATO is intruding on its sphere of influence.

But Bush underscored his resolve to back the applications and praised Ukraine’s democratic and military reforms, noting that Ukraine “is the only non-NATO nation supporting every NATO mission.” Ukraine has sent troops to Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq. He also portrayed the decision as one that is “in the interests of our organization.”

“In Bucharest this week, - he added, I will continue to make America’s position clear: we support MAP for Ukraine and Georgia. My stop here should be a clear signal to everybody that I mean what I say: It’s in our interest for Ukraine to join.”

Among the biggest obstacle in Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is Russia. With nine former Soviet bloc countries already members, NATO countries abut some of Russia’s borders and Moscow fiercely opposes further eastward expansion of the alliance that it denounces as a Cold War relic.

Some NATO allies, notably France and Germany, are reluctant to give Ukraine and Georgia the precursor to membership, saying they are not ready. But they also fear upsetting already strained ties with Russia, a major supplier of energy to Europe.

But Mr. Bush said Moscow shouldn’t — and won’t — have the last word.

Ukraine’s drive toward NATO membership has triggered domestic parliamentary opposition protests amid widespread antipathy toward the alliance. A survey published earlier this month said only 11% of Ukrainians supported the idea of NATO membership, while almost 36% were strongly opposed.