US president George W Bush met with NATO leaders today for talks on the alliance's future role in postwar Iraq.
President Bush, who is holding back-to-back summits today with NATO and the European Union, is seeking to regroup allies alienated by the war. He also is pressing his case for increasing pressure on Iran to end its nuclear ambitions.
NATO's 26 members are expected to announce they all will participate in a modest program to train Iraq's military. NATO is a "vital relationship for the United States and for Europe," president Bush said, renewing his belief that the United States wants a strong Europe.
"The Iraqis have defied the terrorists and showed the world they want to live in a free society, and we're there to help them achieve that," Mr Bush said today.
President Bush spoke after a breakfast meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the US embassy in Brussels. The two leaders praised the January elections in Iraq, saying they demonstrated that the war-torn country is on the right path forward.
The alliance also is expected to emphasize its engagement in Afghanistan and may discuss an eventual NATO role in the Middle East if Israel and the Palestinians reach a peace accord.
President Bush also met with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi and Viktor Yushchenko, the new, Westward-leaning president of Ukraine.
Mr Yushchenko is the only non-alliance leader invited to the NATO summit. His presence here is a clear sign of support for the leader, who swept to power after pro-democracy demonstrations forced a repeat election in December.
Mr Yushchenko, however, has said that withdrawing Ukraine's 1,600 troops from Iraq is topping the agenda for his country's cash-starved military. Ukraine's defence minister said earlier that the contingent could be withdrawn by October.