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Nato denies Georgia and Ukraine | Nato denies Georgia and Ukraine |
(20 minutes later) | |
Nato has confirmed it will not yet offer membership to Georgia or Ukraine after the 26-member alliance was split amid strong objections from Russia. | |
The alliance also said it would not invite Macedonia to join after protests from Greece over Macedonia's name. | |
But at a summit in Romania, Nato said Balkan neighbours Albania and Croatia would be asked to join the alliance. | But at a summit in Romania, Nato said Balkan neighbours Albania and Croatia would be asked to join the alliance. |
US and Czech officials agreed to base a missile defence radar on Czech soil, a plan that has also angered Russia. | |
And President Nicolas Sarkozy said that France would make a decision on Nato by the end of the year, indicating it would return to the military command it left in 1966 in protest at the dominance of US commanders. | |
He also said hundreds of extra French troops would be sent to Afghanistan. | |
'Disappointment' | 'Disappointment' |
The announcements came after a night of diplomatic wrangling over new members which poisoned the summit atmosphere, says the BBC's Jonathan Marcus in Bucharest. | The announcements came after a night of diplomatic wrangling over new members which poisoned the summit atmosphere, says the BBC's Jonathan Marcus in Bucharest. |
US President George W Bush had called for Georgia and Ukraine to be allowed to join. | US President George W Bush had called for Georgia and Ukraine to be allowed to join. |
But the move was opposed by Germany and France, amid concerns voiced by Russia over Nato's eastward expansion. | |
Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a news conference Georgia and Ukraine would become members one day. | |
Georgian diplomats earlier said the expected "no" would be a victory for Russia, which views the military alliance with suspicion. | |
Macedonian officials said their rejection was a "huge disappointment" that would undermine stability in the Balkans. | |
US calls for Macedonia to join were opposed by Greece, which has a northern province that is also called Macedonia. | US calls for Macedonia to join were opposed by Greece, which has a northern province that is also called Macedonia. |
It contended that the former Yugoslav republic's insistence on being known as Macedonia implied a territorial claim. | It contended that the former Yugoslav republic's insistence on being known as Macedonia implied a territorial claim. |