BUCHAREST, April 3: Nato leaders gave way to Russian pressure on Thursday and delayed a decision to put the former Soviet states of Ukraine and Georgia on track for membership in the Western alliance, despite US President George W. Bush’s staunch support.

But Moscow’s victory may be short-lived: The Nato allies said clearly for the first time that strategically important Black Sea nations would one day join the Western alliance, and suggested they may launch membership procedures by the end of this year.

Bush gained ground on two other fronts: a promise of more troops in Afghanistan and support for US missile defence plans in Europe.

Regarding Ukraine and Georgia, alliance Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer read from the communique to be adopted at the summit: “We agree today that these countries will become members of Nato.”

“Nato’s ongoing enlargement process has been a historic success in advancing stability and cooperation and bringing us closer to our common goal of a Europe whole and free, united in peace, democracy and common values,” it read.

Nato also invited Croatia and Albania to join the alliance, but the Greek vetoed the entry of Macedonia, saying the Balkan nation’s name implies a threat to a neighbouring Greek province also called Macedonia.

The Macedonia delegation left the summit, saying its country’s exclusion from Nato threatened to add to Balkan instability.

Despite the setbacks over Nato’s expansion, Bush scored a success with France’s commitment to send hundreds of extra combat troops to serve alongside US forces in the fight against the Taliban in eastern Afghanistan.

All 26 allies pledged to fill remaining shortfalls in the 47,000-strong Nato force in Afghanistan as part of a new “strategic vision” stressing their long-term commitment to the country. It sets the goal of expanding the Afghan army from 50,000 to 80,000 by 2010. Nato sees stronger Afghan forces as the key to allowing an eventual reduction of the Nato mission.—AP