In the waning days of his administration, U.S. President Joe Biden is pushing to strengthen Ukraine’s position against Russia before the return of Donald Trump to the White House.

That’s because the president-elect has pledged to promptly end the grinding war started by Russia’s Vladimir Putin almost three years ago. That likely means a negotiated settlement, and Biden is trying to give Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the strongest possible hand.

Biden’s recent steps include, most notably, allowing Kyiv to hit military targets deeper inside Russia, a move that was immediately seen by Moscow and the Trump camp as a needless escalation.