Russia moved a step closer to breaking up Georgia and throwing down a gauntlet to Nato, as both houses of parliament in Moscow on Monday voted overwhelmingly to recognise the separatist republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The vote, however, has no force unless and until the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, endorses it, and the Kremlin on Monday said only that Mr Medvedev was studying the resolution.