Ukraine turmoil casts doubt on war games with U.S.

KIEV, June 11 (Reuters) US reservists preparing for war games in Ukraine left the ex-Soviet state today amid protests and political uncertainty, casting doubt on whether the exercises would take place.

Small but noisy groups of pro-Russian protesters have hounded the 200 US servicemen during their stay in the Crimea peninsula to prepare for the Sea Breeze 2006 exercise in July.

Television showed them leaving their base in a convoy of buses, with clutches of protesters shouting ''Yankee go home!'' Parliament must approve the presence of foreign troops for the exercises to proceed as part of pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko's long-term plan to join NATO -- a notion denounced by giant northern neighbour Russia.

But parliament is paralysed by slow-moving talks to form a coalition government since an inconclusive election in March.

''The US reservists were to come here for three weeks. This period has elapsed and they are returning home to their factories and hospitals,'' Andriy Lysenko, defence ministry spokesman, told Reuters.

''Unfortunately, the men were unable to complete the work that they were assigned.'' The failure to clinch a coalition agreement by the three parties that backed Yushchenko in the 2004 ''Orange Revolution'' that brought him to power has halted much political activity.

A proposed visit by US President George W Bush was put off and Ukrainian-British exercises in June have been postponed.

But Lysenko said he hoped parliament, in recess to allow coalition talks to proceed, could resolve the issue to give the go-ahead for Sea Breeze.

''The exercises are not due to open until July 16 and there is still time,'' he said. ''The Defence Ministry hopes the issue can be raised and a law passed at parliament's first sitting.'' NATO, EU MEMBERSHIP Yushchenko is pledged to integrating Ukraine in the West and joining the European Union and NATO, the latter as soon as 2008.

His election has done little to resolve Ukraine's traditional split into central and nationalist western regions who favour quick moves towards the West and its Russian-speaking east which wants to rebuild strong ties with Moscow.

But attitudes to NATO are less clear-cut -- though Ukraine has held joint exercises under alliance auspices since 1997. Eastern Ukraine and Crimea oppose NATO, but western regions are no more than lukewarm on the issue.

Russian television has given blanket coverage to protests in Crimea, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based and most residents are ethnic Russians sympathetic to Moscow.

Protests were rarely more than a few hundred-strong, but the reservists were mostly confined to a holiday base and spent much of their time clearing beaches and upgrading a soccer field.

Officials said they were advised against going into nearby towns for fear of provoking noisy confrontations.

REUTERS CH BD1911