WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said on Wednesday that the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia belong to Georgia, pledging to ensure Georgia's independence and territorial integrity.

    "South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia. And the United States will work with our allies to ensure Georgia's independence and territorial integrity," Bush told the Veterans of Foreign Wars(VFW) in Orlando, Florida.

    NATO "agreed that Russia must honor its commitment to withdraw its troops from Georgia and to return to the status quo before the hostilities began on August the 6th," he said.

    Bush spoke highly of Georgia's contribution in U.S.-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Georgia stood for freedom around the world. And now the world must stand for freedom in Georgia."

    "The United States of America will continue to support Georgia's democracy. Our military will continue to provide needed humanitarian aid to the Georgian people," Bush said.

    It was reported that three U.S. military ships will pass through the Turkish Straits from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea to deliver humanitarian relief supplies to Georgia.

    U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said earlier in the day that Russia is doing "some withdrawal" from Georgia, but the pace of the pullout "needs to increase sooner rather than later."