Bush Wins NATO Backing on European Missile Shield

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BUCHAREST, Romania — NATO countries endorsed Bush administration plans for installing a missile defense system in alliance countries in Europe on Thursday even as they rebuffed President Bush’s entreaties to extend membership of the alliance to the former Soviet republics of Ukraine and Georgia.

The unusually rancorous meeting of NATO members in Bucharest exposed sharp differences among nations, but President Bush won some agreement on bolstering the number of NATO troops in Afghanistan and presenting a united front against Russia’s objections on the issue of missile defense.

After hours of negotiations, the countries agreed to extend membership to Croatia and Albania, but they rejected a membership request by Macedonia, which had been championed by the United States, prompting Macedonian officials to storm out of the meeting.

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