US President George W Bush has given his full support for Ukraine's membership of NATO.

During a visit to Kiev, Mr Bush said the country had made an ambitious decision to request membership and America "strongly supported it".

Mr Bush, who also supports NATO membership for Georgia, praised Ukraine's democratic and military reforms.

He said he would use his upcoming visit to Bucharest to urge NATO allies to support Membership Action Plans for both Ukraine and Georgia.

"In Bucharest this week, I will continue to make America's position clear: we support MAP for Ukraine and Georgia," Mr Bush said.

"My stop here should be a clear signal to everybody that I mean what I say: It's in our interest for Ukraine to join."

However, Mr Bush is likely to face strong opposition from France and Russia.

Both countries have opposed NATO membership for Ukraine and fellow ex-Soviet state Georgia.