US SENATE URGES NATO TO PUT UKRAINE, GEORGIA,
ON TRACK FOR ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP
Associated Press (AP), Washington, D.C. Monday, Feb 18 2008

WASHINGTON - The US Senate urged NATO to put Ukraine and
the Republic of Georgia on a track toward membership.

The support for the two countries came in a resolution passed without
dissent on Thursday that backed their hopes to join NATO's membership
action plan. The program helps countries prepare for eventual membership.
The measure is not binding on US policy.

NATO may consider Georgia and Ukraine for the membership track at its
summit meeting in Bucharest, Romania, in April. It is unclear whether the
two countries have the required unanimous support of NATO's 26 member
countries.

Russia has made clear that it opposes an expansion of NATO to include the
two former Soviet republics. This week Russia threatened to target Ukraine
with nuclear missiles if it should join the alliance.