World

Bush starts trip to Eastern Europe

by Dave Keating | March 30, 2008 at 11:01 pm

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Coming soon after his visit to Africa, President Bush is making another visit to one of the few areas of the world where he remains popular, Eastern Europe. The visit will be certain to touch upon the sensitive issue of Russia's increasingly ambitious and aggressive foreign policy.

Bush is in the area for the NATO summit taking place in Bucharest this week, which is likely to bring some major policy changes to the alliance in a bid to fix the ailing Afghanistan mission.

President Bush starts a weeklong trip to Eastern Europe Monday, still popular in the region but under pressure because of Russia's efforts to regain influence and a U.S. failure to deliver on some commitments.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili summed up the attitude of many Eastern Europeans at an Oval Office meeting this month when he gushed over Mr. Bush's support for their political and economic development.