From Times Online:Nato foreign ministers put an end yesterday to the dream of Georgia and Ukraine joining the alliance within the next few years.
Membership of Nato was kicked so far into the grass that Moscow must be wondering what all the fuss was about when it became concerned in April that the two former Soviet republics were going to be fast-tracked into the Western alliance.
The only agreement to emerge on Georgia and Ukraine from a meeting of the 26 Nato foreign ministers was a promise to give them long-term assistance to build up their armed forces and help to introduce reforms. “Long term” apparently means at least ten years.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the Nato Secretary-General, said a decision had been taken to “beef up” the existing Nato/Ukraine Commission and Nato/ Georgia Commission, which would help the countries to improve their military standards in preparation for eventual membership of the alliance.
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My Comment: Even though President Bush has made it a central focus of his Eastern European policy to get Nato membership for the Ukraine and Georgia, President-elect Obama has made it very clear that this is not going to happen under his watch.
No surprise .... Nato is only happy to oblige itself with the (create no waves) Obama policy.