Putin at NATO

This was the first time NATO invited Putin to attend the yearly conference and many feared a scathing attack from Russia for the global missile shield in Poland and attempts to expand NATO eastward. Putin was diplomatic and measured in his address, even though he did address those issues. Putin called NATO a relic of the Cold War and said Russia is no longer a threat. Still many politicians in Romania are skeptical; why is it so adamantly opposed to Romania joining NATO, for example? President Bush says he’ll try to emphasize that point, that Russia is not the enemy. Despite the thinly veiled friction between NATO and Russia, the conference was considered a success. It was made clear that Ukraine and Georgia would get into NATO soon, even though invites were not extended at the meeting, and troops were pledged to Afghanistan from many countries.