Ahead of this week's NATO summit, President George W. Bush has told alliance members he wants to expand the organization to include three Balkan countries and put Ukraine and Georgia on track for membership. Bush probably will get some of what he wants at the meetings Tuesday through Thursday in Bucharest, Romania. But with only nine months left in his term, Bush may find his ability to persuade European leaders diminished, just as it is with Congress. That is a reflection of the president's low public approval ratings and the anticipation of a new administration that will set policy. European leaders know the new US president could shift course on NATO. For that reason, they may seek to put aside some decisions, including commitments to Ukraine and Georgia, until after Bush leaves office in January. He also could see his goal of winning NATO membership for Albania, Croatia and Macedonia partially thwarted at the summit. “I think this NATO summit is basically the ‘Goodbye George' summit,” said Daniel Hamilton, Director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. “A lot of the energy is looking beyond the administration.” __
