NATO rejects 2 Black Sea states, for now
NATO decided Thursday to reject a drive by President George W. Bush to place the strategically important Black Sea states of Ukraine and Georgia on track for NATO membership. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany expressed concern about provoking Moscow, which is vehemently opposed to NATO’s taking in the two former Soviet republics, which border Russian territory near key east-west oil and gas routes. Full Story