Russia’s upper house of parliament has voted unanimously for a resolution calling on President Dmitry Medvedev to recognize Georgia’s breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. On Friday, Moscow withdrew the bulk of its forces from Georgia’s heartland, but Russia said it would maintain a residual force to protect the separatist regions. Meanwhile, a US Navy destroyer arrived in Georgia Sunday carrying fifty-five tons of aid as part of what the Bush administration called a humanitarian mission. The USS McFaul is the first of three warships that are due to arrive this week. The ship is outfitted with a wide range of weaponry, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.