Kerry to Georgia, Ukraine ahead of NATO Summit

US Secretary of State John Kerry set off Tuesday to reassure Georgia and Ukraine they have not been forgotten as Western allies prepare for this week's NATO summit.

Both Kiev and Tbilisi aspire to one day join the Atlantic alliance but, with Russian forces already occupying parts of their territory, have little immediate hope of success.

So, with leaders of the full NATO members due to meet in Warsaw from Friday, Kerry embarked on a two-day solidarity visit to the countries on the alliance's new front line.

On Wednesday, US officials said, Kerry will meet in Tbilisi with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili and opposition leaders.

He will express US support for Georgia's "Euro-Atlantic aspirations," spokesman John Kirby said Thursday, in a nod to the former Soviet republic's NATO and EU ambitions.

In 2008, NATO leaders promised that Georgia would one day be allowed join the bloc, but it has yet to begin the formal accession process.

Today, NATO's main rival Russia occupies the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Moscow recognizes as independent nations.

With President Vladimir Putin aggressively opposed to further NATO expansion, many NATO members are reluctant to risk accepting responsibility for Georgia's security.

The next day, Kerry will fly to Kiev to meet President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to discuss attempts to broker a settlement in eastern Ukraine.

Under the Minsk Accords, Russia is supposed to drop support for separatist rebels and observe a ceasefire in exchange for Ukrainian political reform and regional autonomy.

Washington has generally sided with Ukraine, imposing sanctions on Russia after its March 2014 annexation of Crimea, but wants Kiev to uphold its end of the Minsk deal.

After talks in the two capitals, Kerry will fly on to the Polish capital to join President Barack Obama and other NATO leaders and ministers for the allies' annual summit.