.Ukraine's president orders to send 15 peacekeepers to Iraq
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko ordered 15 peacekeepers to Iraq on Friday, in an apparent effort to win further support from Washington for its bid to join NATO.
Yushchenko's office said the troops will serve as part of an international peacekeeping mission in Iraq.
Ukraine has made joining NATO a priority, but its request for a roadmap to membership was turned down at the alliance's summit in Bucharest earlier this month. Germany, France and some other nations feared the move would anger Russia, which has watched Ukraine's NATO bid with dismay.
US President George W. Bush has strongly supported Ukraine's NATO aspirations. During a visit to Kyiv on the eve of the NATO summit, Bush praised Ukraine as the only non-NATO state contributing to all the group's missions.
Ukraine had deployed troops in Iraq in 2003-2005 but withdrew them amid public protests.
KYIV
Yushchenko's office said the troops will serve as part of an international peacekeeping mission in Iraq.
Ukraine has made joining NATO a priority, but its request for a roadmap to membership was turned down at the alliance's summit in Bucharest earlier this month. Germany, France and some other nations feared the move would anger Russia, which has watched Ukraine's NATO bid with dismay.
US President George W. Bush has strongly supported Ukraine's NATO aspirations. During a visit to Kyiv on the eve of the NATO summit, Bush praised Ukraine as the only non-NATO state contributing to all the group's missions.
Ukraine had deployed troops in Iraq in 2003-2005 but withdrew them amid public protests.
KYIV
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