Right now Ukrainian leaders argue that country need to restore nuclear status because of possibility to be aimed with Russian missiles. However Mr. Putin said that IF there is deployed NATO anti-missile defense in Ukraine there is possibility of such Russian reaction. But it means that Moscow react on Ukraine-initiated aggressive behavior of seeking back it's nuclear status aching to NATO membership. Thus I don't see the point of Russia being considered as bugbear

Alexey, Novosibirsk, Russia

be very carefull when dealing with russia,

If the west push them in a corner they may occupy the two

republics what could the west do ????

attack i dont think so.

arthur ruse, dover, united kingdom

No civilized nation wants anything to do with the mockal federation. Therefore, both Ukraine and Georgia shall be given MAP status and NATO membership within 2-3 years - irregardless of the crying and whining heard from Medvedev and Putin. No normal nation wishes to associate itself with a banana republic like Russia. NATO will successfully expand beyond it's current members.

Hryhoriy, New York, United States

I don't understand how we can do this to Georgia, the country we owe... (Shevardnadze, the former president of Georgia and former USSR foreign minister) The man who has REMOVED THE RUSSIAN ARMY FROM GERMANY!!! And helped our nation to unite. I think we must not forget such things, I think we should clearly recognise the efforts of both Georgia and Ukraine, which have also been a subject of Russian threats.

Oil and money is very important, but we must not forget our humanity, when dealing even with Putin or Medvedev or such types...

Liam, Erkner, Germany

Frankly Mr Whatever, it is none of your business what Ukraine, Georgia or NATO decide to do - it is an internal matter of these three entities. The best way russia could have prevented Ukraine and Georgia from seeking membership action plans would have been to refrain from aggressive behaviour towards them, however Mr Whatever, russia pursued an aggressive policy towards these Independent sovereign states and their reaction is to seek closer military ties with the west.
Don't like the situation? Your country should not have created it then.

Alexander, London,

This is how European nations can make everybody happy: deny Ukraine and Georgia NATO membership and offer them instead a clear EU membership prospect.

Vic de Bruyne, Seattle, USA

Refusing to award MAP to Ukraine and Georgia,
NATO practically loses the chances of its further expansion

Lubica Drozenova

At the beginning of April in Bucharest there will take place the next summit of NATO, where three Balkan countries, namely Croatia, Macedonia and Albania, are expected to be invited to NATO. But the question regarding Ukraine’s and Georgia’s bid for NATO Membership Action Plan, or MAP, remains opened, first and foremost, because of the position of Germany, France and a number of other countries.
Attention is drawn to the fact that the key problem is the stance of Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, which is based, entirely, on V. Putin’s arguments that if even the Ukrainian leaders possess the will to join NATO, it is not enough to realize this idea, with a low level of support for it, showed by Ukrainian people. Georgia has the other problems – the territorial ones.

Lubica Drozenova, Prague, Czech