KIEV, July 21 – Vice President Joe Biden reassured Ukraine on Tuesday of US support for its right to join NATO and promised a "reset" of Washington's relations with Moscow would not undermine warm ties with Kiev.

Speaking after a meeting with 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 shorthand for talking about NATO membership.

"We do not recognize 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 that poisoned Russian-US relations that Obama today says he intends to "reset".

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 -- saying only that it was watching his travels closely.

"We will follow what happens attentively," Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said at a briefing in Moscow, according to AFP report.

But he added: "We do not usurp or monopolize anyone's rights. Choice of partners for international collaboration is a matter of the sovereign will of the subjects themselves," Nesterenko said.

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 anytime 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 plan to "reset" ties with Russia, Biden stated: "I ensure 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. (afp/ez)