US President George Bush's European tour continues to make headlines across Europe, with the French saying bonjour as the Russians say do svidaniya.

Meanwhile, a Russian newspaper issues a warning to Ukraine over its avowed intention to join NATO.

Mr Bush received a warm welcome from his French counterpart, although some of Jacques Chirac's countrymen were not so friendly.

Le Figaro focuses on the "very relaxed" press conference given by the two leaders.

According to the paper, Mr Bush's remarks suggest that he sees France as "the most decisive ally against terrorism".

It shows a photo of Mr Bush touching the arm of a smiling Mr Chirac against the backdrop of the two countries' flags and points out that the two presidents "called each other by their first names".

Back to reality

A cartoon in Le Monde, however, contrasts the US president's peaceful trip to Russia with the protesters who greeted him in France.

All voices should be heard, especially those making arguments to which the president is rarely exposed at home.

The Independent

Half the picture shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Bush in upbeat mood in Moscow faced with an array of missiles which the cartoonist has crossed out.

Below, a shocked Mr Bush recoils from anti-American placards waved by demonstrators in Paris as an embarrassed French prime minister and French president look on helplessly.

London's Independent says that it is "no bad thing" for the US president to face protesters.

The paper reveals that it broadly agrees with those protesting against the US inaction on climate change and against US policy in the Middle East, whilst it broadly disagrees with those protesting against the USA as an imperialist aggressor.

"All voices should be heard," it argues, "especially those making arguments to which the president is rarely exposed at home."

Price of progress

Before heading to Paris, Mr Bush said goodbye to Mr Putin in St. Petersburg, although the two will meet again at the Nato summit in Rome.

No one can yet understand what price Russia will pay for this integration

Nikolai Zlobin in Izvestiya

The Russian president is seen by Izvestiya as having brought Russia into the first world - at least politically.

But it worries that economic integration is lagging threateningly behind the political.

In an interview, a Russian political scientist in Washington expresses different fears.

"No one can yet understand what price Russia will pay for this integration," Nikolai Zlobin of the Centre for Defence Information told Izvestiya.

"Not from the military, not from the political, not from the economic point of view, and not from the point of view of one's culture."

Making waves

It is possible that the fears of some Russian generals have already been realised with Ukraine's announcement last week that it intends to join Nato.

According to the Russian broadsheet Nezavisimaya Gazeta, the unofficial reaction among Russia's elite was predictable and violent.

It notes that previous statements have been muffled, referring to "European or Euro-Atlantic integration", and says that Russia has in the past 18 months rescued Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma from very real threats to his regime.

The exchange for this, the paper says, was Ukraine's geopolitical loyalty, a cornerstone of which would be not joining the Western military alliance.

Now, Russia's hands are "untied", raising the prospect of contact with Ukrainian opposition groups.

While joining Nato may be years in the future, Nezavisimaya ominously concludes that the immediate consequence of the decision would be to weaken the Kuchma regime.

The European press review is compiled by BBC Monitoring from internet editions of the main European newspapers and some early printed editions.