RIO DE JANEIRO – President Joe Biden began what is likely to be his last summit with global leaders as commander in chief Monday, pushing for even stronger support of Ukraine despite the looming uncertainty of how President-elect Donald Trump might undo his efforts.

Just before the Group of 20 summit began, Biden authorized the first use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia, U.S. officials said.

The decision reflected a sense of urgency to cement Biden’s legacy on one of his presidency’s biggest foreign policy challenges. Biden and his aides are in a race against time as they seek to bolster Ukraine before Trump takes power. Biden used one of his final moments on the global stage to encourage more world leaders to assist Ukraine.

The Ukrainian military now has a limited supply of the missiles. Firing a small number at targets in Russia would not make much of a difference to the war, analysts said. But the missiles could serve as a deterrent, discouraging North Korea from further assisting Russia.

– The Associated Press