KIEV (AFP) –
Vice President Joe Biden was due in Georgia Wednesday after reassuring Ukraine of US support for its right to join NATO and promising a "reset" of Washington's relations with Moscow would not undermine warm ties with Kiev.
Speaking after a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Biden said President Barack Obama wanted to repair damaged US-Russia relations but would not allow the Kremlin to dictate Ukraine's relationship with NATO.
"The US and Ukraine will work in the years to come to strengthen our strategic partnership," Biden told reporters.
"It is not for the US to dictate what that partnership will be, but... if you choose to be part of Euro-Atlantic integration, which I believe you have, then we strongly support that."
Biden did not mention NATO by name, and his comments walked a fine line between calling for Ukraine's admission to the alliance and merely expressing theoretical support for its right to set its own foreign and security policies.
It was clear though from his other remarks and in light of developments over the past several years that his reference to Ukraine's "Euro-Atlantic integration" was diplomatic longhand for talking about NATO membership.
"We do not recognise anyone else's right to dictate to you or any other country what alliance you seek to belong to or what relationship to have," Biden said.
"The US supports Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and freedom to make its own choices, including what alliances they choose to belong to."
Ukraine's campaign to join NATO, encouraged by the administration of Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, was among the major irritants poisoning Russian-US relations that Obama today wants to start afresh.
Biden also urged Ukrainian leaders to reform their energy system, pointing out "that if Ukrainians were able to get to the level of Poland in terms of energy efficiency they would be able to significantly cut their gas imports," a senior US official told reporters.
"This is one of the most inefficient countries in terms of energy use, we would like to work with Ukraine on that, and if that happens, it would significantly change Ukraine's relationship with Russia," the official added.
Russia shrugged off Biden's trip to Ukraine and, from Wednesday, to Georgia -- another ex-Soviet republic whose moves to integrate with the West have angered Moscow.
"We will follow what happens attentively," Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said at a briefing in Moscow.
"We do not usurp or monopolise anyone's rights. Choice of partners for international collaboration is a matter of the sovereign will of the subjects themselves."
He later added: "The important thing is that it is transparent, without any double games, and that it is not done to the detriment of others."
Nevertheless, he noted that Biden's choice of itinerary and his timing could not be down to chance.
This was a far cry from a warning by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in June 2006 of a "colossal geopolitical shift" in the world if NATO admitted Ukraine as a member.
No one sees much prospect of that happening any time soon however after campaigns by Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO were put on ice at the alliance summit in Bucharest last year.
Biden said he had come to Ukraine "with one straightforward message: the US is committed to a strong, democratic and prosperous Ukraine" and will continue to support the ex-Soviet state's sovereignty, independence and freedom.
And he promised, as forecast, that the Obama administration would not abandon Ukraine as it seeks to improve relations with Moscow.
Referring to Washington's "reset" agenda with Moscow, Biden stated: "I assure you and all Ukrainian people that it will not come at Ukraine's expense.
"To the contrary, I believe it can actually benefit Ukraine."
Biden was scheduled to travel on Wednesday to Tbilisi where he was to meet President Mikheil Saakashvili and other officials and was expected to give similar reassurances of US support for Georgia.
