Bush flies in to Ukraine to extend last-minute support for its Nato bid

UKRAINE:PRESIDENT GEORGE Bush flies to Ukraine today to offer last-minute US support for its bid to be invited to join Nato at this week's summit, despite fierce opposition to the move from Russia and deep concerns among European heavyweights France and Germany.

President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia could aim missiles at Ukraine if it became a Nato member and hosted its bases, and Moscow officials say the Kremlin might recognise the independence of two breakaway regions of Georgia if it joined the alliance.

Mr Bush advocates bringing both former Soviet republics into Nato, but major bloc members like Germany and France want to delay their invitation, citing separatist problems in Georgia and widespread suspicion of Nato in pro-Moscow parts of Ukraine. They also fear enraging Russia, which is a vital supplier of energy to the European Union.

At the Wednesday-Friday summit in Romania, Croatia, Albania and perhaps Macedonia will be offered invitations to join Nato in the form of a membership action plan, which lays out what a country must do to accede to the 26-nation alliance.

While the US, Canada and east European members say invitations to Ukraine and Georgia would strengthen those countries and bring them firmly into a western orbit, Russia says the move would destabilise the continent.

"I do know that one of the signals we're going to have to send, and must send, is there is a clear path forward for Ukraine and Georgia," Mr Bush said last week in regard to Nato.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted that "an 'open door' policy towards Ukraine and Georgia will be a sign for us that the West has made its choice in favour of unilateral actions rather than forming trans-European institutions."

"The expansion policy disunites states," he added. "Any country which is not a member of the bloc and does not take part in forming its policy feels a threat to its security."

While publicly pushing hard for an invitation, Georgian and Ukrainian officials privately admit that they may have to wait a while longer for a membership action plan, considering both the sensitivity of the issue at what will be Mr Bush and Mr Putin's last Nato summit, and the fact that the Russian leader plans to play host to his US counterpart next weekend.

Between stops in Romania and Russia, Mr Bush will pay a short visit to Croatia.