WASHINGTON (AFP) -- President Barack Obama should stop encouraging Georgia and Ukraine’s bids to join NATO in order to improve relations with Moscow, a bipartisan commission recommended in a report Monday.

Led by former senators Gary Hart, a Democrat, and Chuck Hagel, a Republican, the commission made 19 recommendations, taking aim at NATO’s eastward expansion, a sore point in U.S. relations with Moscow during the previous administration.
“Accept that neither Ukraine nor Georgia is ready for NATO membership and work closely with U.S. allies to develop options other than NATO membership to demonstrate a commitment to their sovereignty,” it said.
“A special relationship with NATO short of membership could serve the same function as membership, and would be a useful way to ensure that those Ukrainians and Georgians seeking to join NATO do not become discouraged,” it said.