NATO backs missile defense plan

BUCHAREST, Romania — President Bush today won NATO’s backing for a missile defense shield inside two former Communist bloc countries in Eastern Europe, just days before a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. officials say may yield an agreement on the matter.

NATO also today invited Croatia and Albania to join the alliance, expanding the treaty organization closer to the Russian border as the Bush administration said it must go even further into Eastern Europe and still might later this year.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called the missile defense a “breakthrough,” and said that combined with its promises to allow former Soviet bloc satellites Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO, it was “a fine day for NATO.”

But the administration’s description of a few big European countries isolated in their opposition to Ukraine and Georgia could not hide the fact that several weeks of personal diplomacy and persuasion by Mr. Bush failed to persuade usually stalwart allies such as Germany and France.

Ms. Rice said that opposition from Russia, which views NATO’s spread toward its border with alarm and suspicion, had little to no influence on the alliance’s handling of extending membership action plan (MAP) invitations to Ukraine and Georgia.

“If ever there were evidence that Russia did not have an effect,” Ms. Rice said, and then read from the NATO statement language on Ukraine and Georgia.

“We agree today that these countries will become members of NATO. MAP is the next step,” said the statement.

Ms. Rice looked up and said sharply, “I do not, frankly, think that that’s probably a very popular position in Moscow.”

Mr. Bush, speaking to a meeting of all 26 NATO heads of state, welcomed Croatia and Albania into the alliance and alluded to the dispute this week Ukraine and Georgia.

“As we invite new members today, we are also clear that the progress of enlargement will continue,” Mr. Bush said.

And National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said that Ukraine and Georgia could be invited into MAP as early as December.

Russian officials, however, continued to scoff and issue threats. “Georgia’s and Ukraine’s membership in the alliance is a huge strategic mistake which would have most serious consequences for pan-European security,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, according to Interfax news agency. Russia, who has successfully leaned on U.S. European allies to oppose the invitation of Georgia and Ukraine into the MAP process, will continue tomorrow to loom large at the summit, even though they are not members. Mr. Putin will speak tomorrow to assembled leaders at a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council. On missile defense, the Czech Republic today formally agreed on a deal with the U.S. to place radar systems on their soil that will be “linked” with interceptor missiles in Poland. NATO also backed the deal. Though Poland still has not formally agreed to missile defense, NATO backing of the plan gives Mr. Bush leverage in negotiations with the Russians, who have strongly resisted something they view as a threat. Mr. Bush argues that the system is not aimed at Russia but is intended to protect against ballistic missile attacks by rogue countries such as Iran. Several NATO countries also pledged to send more troops to Afghanistan, helping to avoid a threatened pullout this year by Canada. Macedonia’s application for membership into NATO was blocked by Greek objections to the republic’s name, a dispute which goes back almost two decades, and the Macedonian delegation stormed out of the summit meeting. Mr. Bush urged that the Macedonia “name issue needs to be resolved quickly so that Macedonia can be welcomed into NATO as soon as possible.” Mr. Hadley told reporters that the NATO statement means Georgia and Ukraine are “clearly on the way to their membership in NATO.” The two nations could be invited to join MAP as early as December, at a NATO foreign ministers conference, Mr. Hadley said. “It does not have to come back to a NATO summit,” Mr. Hadley said. “The foreign ministers have been empowered to make the decision.” Russian Ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, doubted whether the two countries would be ready to begin the membership process within the year. “I doubt very much that in less than a year Georgia can solve its territorial problems and Ukraine can change the current proportion of NATO sympathizers,” he said. A Kremlin spokesman said in an interview that the “the open-door policy of NATO actually is not bringing extra stability and peace to the region.” “We know that the American side is wiling to initiate a MAP for Ukraine and Georgia as soon as possible,” Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Washington Times by phone. “We don’t find it helpful for stability, for development of these countries, and also for strategic balance.” On Afghanistan, a possible Canadian withdrawal of their 2,500 troops there was avoided, as French and several other NATO allies pledged to send more troops to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had threatened a pullout this year if NATO did not send more troops to the southern and eastern regions, heavy fighting areas where European countries have refused to send their soldiers. “This will meet the Canadian requirement,” said a senior Bush administration official. Mr. Bush was so heartened by the French commitment of about 800 troops that he gushed publicly about French President Nicolas Sarkozy, saying that his during his most recent visit to the U.S. he was “like the latest incarnation of Elvis,” a senior official said. Near the end of the day, Mr. Bush abruptly left the summit, which was running about two hours behind schedule, but the White House said there was no controversy that sparked the quick departure.