Expansion Issues Divide NATO; Rice Urges More Troops

BRUSSELS, March 6 -- Foreign ministers of the NATO alliance failed Thursday to narrow differences over whether to make interim membership overtures to Georgia and Ukraine, with some ministers pressing for the step and others arguing that it would antagonize Russia.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also urged allies to make firm commitments to add troops in Afghanistan, saying that alliance members cannot focus just on development work in the fragile country.

There was also no apparent movement in a dispute that has lasted more than 15 years between Greece and Macedonia over Macedonia's name. The issue threatens to block plans to bring the tiny Balkan republic into the alliance at a summit next month in Bucharest, Romania.

The 26-nation alliance, which has expanded rapidly in the past decade into Eastern Europe, faces two critical decisions on further enlargement.

One concerns Georgia and Ukraine, two former Soviet republics seeking membership, in part to escape Russian influence. In the meetings here, the diplomats were split over whether to grant the two countries an interim step, known as the "Membership Action Plan," with France and Germany among the leading skeptics.

Russia has warned that pursuit of membership by the two would antagonize their pro-Russia populations and possibly lead to civil war.

"In Russia we have a new president and I think the European Union wants to put its ties with Russia on another footing," said Luxembourg's foreign minister, Jean Asselborn. "We have to take the interests of others, not only the members of NATO, into account."

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner suggested that Russia's place in the world system was not given enough consideration. "France is not the only nation wanting to maintain a relationship with Russia as a great nation," he said.

U.S. officials have expressed cautious support for granting Ukraine and Georgia the interim status, but have made no official statement.

The second decision concerns full membership for three Balkan countries -- Macedonia, Albania and Croatia -- a step that alliance members hope will help bring stability to the volatile region. But Greece on Thursday once again threatened to veto a seat for Macedonia.

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis reiterated Thursday that Athens believes the name "Republic of Macedonia" is a backdoor attempt to claim sovereignty over a Greek province named Macedonia.

Greece stands alone in NATO in its campaign against Macedonia. One U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was describing diplomatic conversations, said there was "considerable pressure in the room that this now be settled."

The ministers spent considerable time discussing a mission statement about Afghanistan that would help explain to their publics why NATO is fighting there.

There are 43,000 NATO-led troops in Afghanistan, but some operate only in relatively peaceful parts of the country. U.S. officials argue that NATO countries must contribute more troops, saying the alliance cannot be divided between those who fight and those who focus on development.