BEN FELLER
AP News
Mar 31, 2008 15:02 EST
President Bush wants to bolster the multinational fight in Afghanistan by reminding NATO allies that the war is in their interest — and by persuading them to send more troops into battle.
But this will be a challenge for Bush, who arrived Monday night in Kiev, Ukraine, at the start of a trip that also will include Romania, Croatia and Russia. The NATO alliance is strained currently and is engaged in soul-searching about its place and mission in a rapidly changing world.
Beyond Afghanistan, Bush is trying to score a breakthrough on a U.S.-based missile defense system in Europe. And he wants NATO to expand its borders.
At the center of the trip is the NATO summit, starting Wednesday in Bucharest, Romania. The war in Afghanistan is under fresh review as the 26-nation NATO alliance confronts al-Qaida and Taliban forces, rising violence and internal debate about whether member nations are contributing enough.
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