Bush pushes Nato for Balkan expansion

President George Bush has told Nato members he wants to expand the alliance to include three Balkan countries and put Ukraine and Georgia on track for membership.

Speaking ahead of the Nato summit starting on Wednesday in Bucharest, Romania, President Bush may struggle to persuade European leaders about his hopes for expanding the organisation.

European leaders know the next US president could shift course on Nato and for that reason, they may seek to put aside some decisions, including commitments to Ukraine and Georgia, until after President Bush leaves office in January.

President Bush also could see his goal of winning membership for Albania, Croatia and Macedonia at the summit partially thwarted.

“I think this Nato summit is basically the ’Goodbye George’ summit,” said Daniel Hamilton, director of the Centre for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. “A lot of the energy is looking beyond the administration.”

President Bush also faces stiff resistance on Georgia and Ukraine from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sees a threat in further Nato expansion into Russia’s former sphere of influence.

On Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko promised broader cooperation with Nato in Afghanistan were the alliance to shelve invitations to Ukraine and Georgia.

Some Nato allies want to avoid further tension with Russia during the Kremlin leadership transition.

Mr Putin, who is expected to attend the Bucharest summit, steps down as president in May.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has signalled opposition despite President Bush’s support. As a consensus organisation, one veto at the summit would block Georgian and Ukrainian hopes, and Germany seems to have the backing of other European countries.

But President Bush sees Nato expansion as a way to cement democratic gains in Europe.

President Bush assured Georgia’s president, Mikhail Saakashvili, of US backing during a White House visit this month and plans a similar message for the Ukrainians when he visits Kiev before the summit meeting.

As for the Balkan countries, a push by his administration in recent months seems to have won over most allies. But Macedonia is in a dispute with Greece that could sink its chances.

Greece has insisted it will veto Macedonia if it does not change its name. Greece feels the name, which is the same as a neighbouring province of northern Greece, implies a territorial claim.

The administration has argued that the three Balkan countries should be welcomed all at once. If Macedonia is blocked, some believe Albania, whose application is seen as weaker than Croatia’s, could be told to intensify reforms of its political system before joining.

Talks between Greece and Macedonia led by UN envoy Matthew Nimetz are expected to go down to the wire.

The U.S. is holding out hopes of a last-minute breakthrough. But so far, attempts to talk Greece down from a veto have shown no signs of working.