U.S. President George W. Bush vowed on Tuesday to press for Ukraine and Georgia to be allowed to start the process of joining NATO despite resistance from Russia and scepticism from the alliance's European members.
Bush, in Kiev on his way to his farewell NATO summit in Romania, said Moscow had no right to veto bids by the two ex-Soviet states. There was no link between their ambitions and a planned U.S. missile defence system in Europe, he added.
Washington has long lobbied for Ukraine and Georgia to be granted Membership Action Plans (MAP) at the Bucharest summit.
Russia denounces the bids on grounds that NATO is intruding on its sphere of influence. And France said it would oppose granting MAP to the two ex-Soviet states.
But Bush underscored his resolve to back the applications.
"Your nation has made a bold decision, and the United States strongly supports your request," Bush told a news conference alongside Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
"In Bucharest this week, I will continue to make America's position clear. We support MAP for Ukraine and Georgia. Helping Ukraine move towards NATO membership is in the interest of every member in the alliance and will help advance security and freedom in this region and around the world."
NATO states had told Bush that "Russia will not have a veto over what happens next in Bucharest and I take their word for it. And that's the right policy to have."
He dismissed as a "misperception" any trade-off - shelving support for MAP bids to win agreement to deploy interceptor rockets and a radar in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Bush said he hoped proposals to make the missile defence system more transparent would yield progress at his weekend meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
PROGRESS ON MISSILE DEFENCE
