Ukraine, Georgia may get special Nato assistance

Brussels: Pledges made by US President George Bush to Georgia and Ukraine that they could join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) will be rebuffed tomorrow by the alliance at its foreign ministers' meeting.

It seems certain that neither country will be put on the road to Nato membership soon.

Instead, the two countries will be promised some assistance that will not alarm Russia, their uncompromising a neighbour that has vehemently opposed the alliance's eastward expansion.

The packages, to be announced as outgoing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice attends her last Nato meeting, will help the 26-member alliance avoid confrontation with Russia.

Bush's efforts to extend Nato membership to both countries by implementing the Membership Action Plan, a necessary step, was blocked, mainly by Germany and France.

Nato countries agreed to postpone the two new admissions, and encouraged both countries to take the necessary steps to improve their qualification records.

Georgia recently confronted Russia over two breakaway provinces, while Ukraine could face the collapse of its government amid differing opinions on whether it should look to the East or West.

Last week, Rice said that the US won't push Nato to offer Georgia and Ukraine a disputed membership-preparation plan.

Her comments were welcomed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.