09:52 U.S. Congress approves NATO membership for Ukraine and Georgia

The House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the U.S. Congress, has approved a legislation, which envisages support to Ukraine and Georgia in their plans to join NATO, the trans-Atlantic security alliance. The U.S. lawmakers also approved the allocation of funds from the U.S. budget to these two countries in the framework of a program designed to assist them with preparations to join the alliance. The legislation has also been approved by the U.S. Senate and tabled to U.S. President George Bush for signing.

The U.S. will give out a total of $12 million to Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Georgia and Ukraine in 2008 in aid to prepare them for NATO membership, reports Gazeta.ru.