Tuesday, April 27, 1999 Published at 11:18 GMT 12:18 UK
Rude awakening for Nato's new recruits
Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic join Nato
There was official jubilation on 12 March when the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland officially joined Nato.
Poland's prime minister, Jerzy Buzek, even called it the "real end of the Second World War".
But a month later, Nato is at war - and the response in the three new states has been mixed.
The Czech Foreign Minister, Jan Kavan, says Nato should still be prepared to negotiate with President Milosevic.
The Hungarians are worried about the future of the 300,000-strong Hungarian minority in northern Serbia.
Poland, the largest of the three new Nato members, has been keenest. Opinion polls show a clear majority supporting the bombing campaign - and Poland is expected to offer a battalion of troops in the event of a land campaign.
Poland and Hungary, in particular, badly need Nato to prove itself. Relations with Russia, already cool, appear to have worsened further.
Poland's eastern neighbour, Belarus, has ostentatiously backed the Serbs. Hungary fears future Serb reprisals.
Waiting at the door
For the three failed applicants - Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia - the Yugoslav conflict presents dangers and opportunities.
All three have been saying that their present cooperation with Nato - making air space available and, in Slovakia's case, also allowing the passage of troops and military equipment - entitles them to Nato security guarantees, leading eventually to full membership.
The Washington summit is not expected to issue any new offers of membership.
But if Nato really does want to secure some form of international protectorate
in Kosovo, the Balkans as a whole may need to be integrated more closely with
the Western alliance.