Ukraine seeks French, German backing on NATO

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine has stepped up efforts to win German and French backing for its request for a NATO membership plan, trying to soothe Western concerns about strong opposition to the move among many Ukrainians.

The two powers lead a group of western European countries which do not want relations with Russia to be disrupted by the issue of Ukrainian NATO membership and are skeptical that there is support in Ukraine for one day joining the U.S.-led alliance.

President Viktor Yushchenko's office published on Monday texts of letters sent to the countries and to NATO, saying a decision to hold a referendum on the issue and a pro-NATO campaign would bring society round in favor of membership.

NATO's 26 member countries are due to decide on whether to give Ukraine and another ex-Soviet republic, Georgia, a so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP) -- a key step towards potential entry -- at a summit in Bucharest on April 2-4.

Ukraine's political opposition blocked parliament for weeks after it emerged that Kiev requested a MAP in January and there were small street protests. The dispute was only solved when the government promised a referendum.

"We are sure that the leaders of the non-radical part of the opposition will move to support real national interests," read one of the letters. The texts were similar and signed by President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

"The issue of the opposition political forces was not Ukraine's NATO membership, but a mechanism of taking the final correct decision."

Opinion polls show many Ukraine are opposed to joining the military alliance, especially in Russian-speaking regions in the east and south.

Russia fiercely opposes NATO expansion eastwards and Western diplomats have denied making any deals with Moscow that would secure NATO much needed military aid in Afghanistan in exchange for a rejection of Ukraine's and Georgia's aspirations.

Ukrainians absorbed decades of Soviet propaganda portraying NATO, created shortly after World War Two to counter the Warsaw Pact, as an enemy.

(Reporting by Sabina Zawadzki; Editing by Richard Balmforth)