Moscow said Natos promise that the ex-Soviet republics would join one day was a "huge strategic mistake".

At a summit in Romania, Macedonia was also denied Nato entry but Albania and Croatia were given the green light.

US and Czech officials agreed to base a missile defence radar on Czech soil, a plan that has also angered Russia.

And President Nicolas Sarkozy indicated France would return next yearto the Nato military command it left in 1966 in protest at thedominance of US commanders.

He also said hundreds of extra French troops would be deployedto Afghanistan, easing fears of a crisis within the Western coalitionthere.

Not happy

The announcements came after a night of diplomatic wrangling over newmembers which poisoned the summit atmosphere, says the BBCs JonathanMarcus in Bucharest.

US President George W Bush had called for Georgia and Ukraine to be allowed to join.