BRUSSELS, March 28 (UPI) -- Next week's NATO meeting promises to delve deeply into Ukraine and Georgia's admission into the alliance and a complex relationship with Russia.
The United States wants the path cleared for admission soon into NATO for Ukraine and Georgia. But, resistance has built up from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
And Russia is to be reckoned with, as its incoming president, Dmitri Medvedev, made it clear that Russia would consider offering a Membership Action Plan to two counties close to its borders as a provocation, the International Herald Tribune said.
. Senior U.S. diplomats argue that Ukraine and Georgia should be given a membership plan before Medvedev takes the reins in early May, allowing a relationship of relative strength at the outset.
Some other nations, however, are reported to be looking to ease their own tensions with Russia and are considereing not confronting Medvedev on the matter now.
