NATO rejects Georgia and Ukraine for membership

Hello and welcome to a UPI news headline. I'm Kristin Volk on this Thursday, the third day of April 2008.

NATO says it won't offer membership to the countries of Georgia and Ukraine. The news comes one day after President Bush called for the two former Soviet states to join at the NATO summit in Romania. But the move was opposed by Germany and France, amid concerns from Russia over the alliance's eastward expansion.

Meanwhile, NATO leaders are set to endorse a planned U.S. missile defense shield for Europe. That's according to a senior U.S. official who said the final summit statement would recognize its ability to protect allies. Also at the summit, French president Nicholas Sarkozy offered more troops to fight the Taliban insurgency in eastern Afghanistan. The additional French troops will reportedly allow the U.S. to divert soldiers to the south of Afghanistan.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain says he's ready to look for a running mate. McCain says he's started the process of putting together a list of names, in which he reportedly has 20 so far. There's no word on who's on that list. The Arizona senator says he'd like to make a decision as soon as possible. He added that he knows how important this issue is given his age. McCain is 71.

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean says Florida's delegates will be seated at the party's national convention in August. Dean says he's committed to finding a fair solution so that Florida will be present there. He met with that state's Democratic leadership recently to discuss how to handle their 211 delegates. The DNC stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates as a penalty for scheduling their primaries too early.

That's all for now. Thanks for watching, and check out our wrap-up from the White House on upi.com tomorrow.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NATO
• Georgia
• Ukraine
• Sarkozy
• Bush
• missile
• defense
• troops
• McCain
• Democrat
• Republican
• Howard
• Dean
• delegates

[borjomiwater]

fuck all countries rejecting Georgia from NATO

[Slavko961234]

Hopefully, I don't want Ukraine to join NATO, European Union, or any of that garbage. I would like Slavic Union including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. No Russia pl0x they will only abuse us.

[mfirebird3000]

yeah cause that would fuel the fire for war between the usa an russia.

[MaryEmma10]

Silly marionettes of Russia-Sarkozy, Merkel, Berlusconi! IF BOSNIA IS READY FOR NATO GEORGIA ISN'T??? Not accepting Georgia was a green light for Russia!!! WAKE UP EUROPE!!! WASH YOUR FACE!!!

[Trey21aa]

@FriendsofGeorgia well Albania had a very good deal with the U.S president and now they are in NATO but now they sent more then 500 troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Mojo1982]

France, Germany and Italy vetoed Ukraine & Georgia. I think Albania has contributed men to the US's in Iraq.

The problem Georgia & Ukraine faces is that Old/West Europe doesn't want Georgia or Ukraine in NATO. Especially Germany and Italy, who are very friendly with Russia. And need Russian gas & oil.

[hectorbolshevik]

That's because of the large quantity of untouched oil deposits that were discovered in northern Albania. A country ran by mafia like Albania wouldn't have had the invitation otherwise.

[FriendsofGeorgia]

poor country like Albania contributed 0 solder and recently became member of the NATO.

[777Simsalabim]

Did you forget how Bushes grandfather Prescott Bush sponsored the fascists in Germany in the 30th before they capture power ? Why would anybody to do such a thing ? - to get rid from the central European competitors by clashing them against the Russia. but if they did it once, could they do it again ? or they evolved into the pigeons of peace , who don't fight for resources and who don't revive fascism in the countries around of their competitors like Russia?

[AlexX52]

If not USA, Russia and Georgia and Ukraine would live in peace and be happy today.