Bush backs Nato expansion

US missile defence plans won cautious Polish support

Russia has nothing to fear from Nato expansion towards her borders, US President George Bush has said.

Russia should not fear the expansion of freedom-loving people towards her borders

George Bush

Speaking in Poland a day ahead of his first meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Bush said his government believed Nato expansion was not a question of whether, but when.

The alliance should be open to all European democracies "ready to share the responsibilities" of membership, he said in a major foreign policy speech.

All of Europe's new democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea and all that lie between, should have the same chance for security and freedom ... as Europe's old democracies have

President Bush

Russia opposed the alliance's expansion to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in 1999 and is even more alarmed by the possible membership of the Baltic states.

In January Mr Putin described Nato expansion as "unacceptable".

Not enemies

Mr Bush said at a press conference earlier that he would tell the Russian president that the US was no longer an enemy.

On a difficult European tour, Poland is seen as a pleasant stopover

"Russia should not fear the expansion of freedom-loving people towards her borders," he said.

Nine eastern European countries, which hope the US will support the idea of inviting them to join Nato next year, will be listening closely to Mr Bush's keynote foreign policy speech.

At a news conference after talks with President Alexander Kwasniewski he said merely that he looked forward to a positive statement on expansion at the Nato summit in Prague in November 2002.

"How many nations are accepted, we will see," he said.

Nato applicants

Albania

Bulgaria

Estonia

Latvia

Lithuania

Macedonia

Romania

Slovenia

Slovakia

Giving a foretaste of his Warsaw speech before leaving the EU summit in Gothenburg on Thursday, Mr Bush said: "I believe that we have an opportunity to form an alliance of peace, that Europe ought to include nations beyond the current scope of the European Union and Nato," he said.

President Kwasniewski welcomed Mr Bush and thanked the US for helping succeed in the transition from communism.

He said he welcomed US proposals for missile defence, as long as they were seen as a contribution to a new system of global security rather than a new version of Ronald Reagan's Cold War-era Star Wars programme.

This visit has been described by some Polish media as the "pleasant stopover" on a tour dogged by disagreements with European allies.

Protests

Some object to Mr Bush's visit, but most Poles are proud he is in their country

Memories are still strong in Poland of the triumphal visit made by Mr Bush's father marking the fall of communism in 1989.

However, anti-globalisation protesters have plastered Warsaw with "Bush stop!" and "Bush wanted!" posters, and have vowed to throw a custard pie in his face.

During his visit Mr Bush is expected to promote efforts to supply the Polish air force with 60 fighter jets.

The American company, Lockheed-Martin, is competing with European manufacturers for a $3bn contract.