U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Lithuania Sunday for a two-day NATO meeting.
NATO defense ministers in the capital, Vilnius will focus their discussions on Ukraine's defense policy.
The meeting follows a visit to Ukraine last week by NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. He told leaders in Kiev the opportunity to join NATO will remain open to Ukraine if the former Soviet republic makes essential democratic reforms.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has said gaining NATO and European Union membership are among his country's top goals. Some analysts predict Ukraine could be admitted to the defense alliance as early as 2008.
Mr. Rumsfeld arrived Saturday in Lithuania after wrapping up an Asian tour that took him to China, South Korea and Mongolia.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
