KIEV, June 16 - NATO's chief sought to allay Russia's concerns about Ukraine's possible entry into the alliance Monday, calling the idea that NATO wants bases on Ukrainian soil a "big myth," The Associated Press reported.

After meeting with President Viktor Yushchenko, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a news conference that eventual membership "does not mean, ladies and gentlemen, NATO bases in Ukraine, (nor) that any Ukrainian soldier will be forced to take part in NATO's operations and missions."

"It is a myth — a big myth — and let me debunk this myth in your presence here today," he said.

Russia views NATO as little more than an extension of the U.S. military and has said Ukraine's membership would present a security threat. With the pro-Western Yushchenko seeking to bring Ukraine into NATO, former Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened earlier this year to target the nation with nuclear missiles if it joined and hosted missile-defense facilities.

NATO declined at a summit in April to grant Ukraine a so-called Membership Action Plan to achieve eventual membership, but said there would be a review in December.

Yushchenko said Monday that he wants NATO to grant Ukraine the action plan in December. But Scheffer stopped short of naming a date.

"I cannot and will not predict any decision-making but what I can say is that the decision making at the machinery is NATO's and NATO's alone," he said, implying that Russia would not have a say in the decision.

Ukraine must continue to pursue defense and security sector reforms in order to join, Scheffer said.

He also said NATO would not interfere in a simmering dispute between Ukraine and Russia over Sevastopol, a Ukrainian port city that hosts Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Ukrainian officials have said they want the Russian ships out after an agreement on their presence expires in 2017, sparking angry rhetoric from Russia.

Ukraine's population is divided over NATO, with opinion polls indicating that more than half, mainly of the Russian-speaking east, have a deeply negative view of NATO.

Hundreds of supports of Russia-leaning parties that oppose membership protested outside the presidential administration building Monday.

Yushchenko has also tried to play down the idea of NATO as a threat. He said its efforts to join were "not a policy against anybody." (ap/ez)