Bush wins NATO backing on shield, but not on Ukraine and Georgia

International Herald Tribune ^ | April 3, 2008 | By Steven Lee Myers and Graham Bowley

[Grzegorz 246]

BUCHAREST: NATO countries unanimously endorsed Bush administration plans for installing a missile defense system in alliance countries in Europe on Thursday even as they rebuffed President George W. Bush's entreaties to extend membership of the alliance to the former Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia.

The unusually rancorous meeting of NATO members in Bucharest exposed sharp differences between nations, but despite the rancor Bush won some agreement on bolstering the number of NATO troops in Afghanistan and presenting a united front against Russia's objections on the issue of missile defense.

After hours of negotiations, the countries agreed to extend membership to Croatia and Albania, but they rejected a membership request by Macedonia, which had been championed by the United States, prompting Macedonian officials to storm out of the meeting.

Bush had pressed the case for Ukraine and Georgia, leading to a direct confrontation with key allies Germany and France, which raised Russia's concerns about NATO expanding directly into the heart of the former Soviet empire.

In heated negotiations on Wednesday night and again on Thursday, leaders argued over the exact wording of the final communiqué, in particular how to frame the rejection of Ukraine and Georgia. In the end, they only offered rhetorical support for these countries' aspirations, saying only that they would be members of NATO one day.

[Grzegorz 246]

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[NoLibZone]

We must hold putin and Russia accountable for giving nukes to Iran and Syria.

They are merely KGB proxies killing our boys in Iraq.

[Gondring]

It’s a shame that President Bush failed to accomplish one of the things where he’s on the right side these days.

[peter the great]

Actually he is not on the right side of things on this what President Bush is actually doing here is reigniting the cold war.

[1rudeboy]

Oh, please. Unless you are willing to make the argument that the missile defense system is unnecessary, then the “let’s not upset the Russians” angle is pure nonsense.

[samtheman]

In other words, “if you prepare to defend yourself against my attack, I’m going to attack you” is a legitimate position for Putin to hold?

[NLB2]

Bush praised President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, the administration official said, saying his trip to the United States last fall had an impact “like the latest incarnation of Elvis.”

What does that mean?

[Tailgunner Joe]

[DesScorp]

I’m not comforatable at all with Croatia and Albania (especially Albania) getting membership. Glad they rejected Macedonia though.

Sometimes I just don’t know what the hell W is thinking.

[peter the great]

Actually maybe I should have explained myself better the missile defense system I have no problem with and it is the right thing to do. Where we are going off course and creating problems is by extending NATO all the way up to the Russian border, that is one of the major blunders this administration is making

[peter the great]

Actually, the original agreement that George Bush the elder made with Boris Yeltsin is a valid position for both countries to hold. That was when the Berlin wall came down Senior made an agreement with Yeltsin that NATO would not be extended beyond Germany. What happens Clinton comes in and extends NATO beyond Germany and attacks Serbia, then W comes in and extends NATO all the way to Russia's border and that is where I have a problem with this.