US says it intends to shore up support for Ukraine until Trump takes office

BRUSSELS (AP) — President Joe Biden intends to bolster U.S. military support to Ukraine in the final months of his administration, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, after Russia launched a sophisticated missile and drone attack on Kyiv.

The U.S. will “continue to shore up everything we’re doing for Ukraine to make sure that it can effectively defend itself against this Russian aggression,” Blinken told reporters at NATO headquarters, before planned meetings with allied envoys and Ukrainian officials.

Blinken warned that North Korea’s decision to send its troops into combat operations alongside Russian forces “demands and will get a firm response.” He didn't elaborate.

U.S., South Korean and Ukrainian intelligence assessments say up to 12,000 North Korean combat troops are being sent to the war. The bulk of those troops were expected to be deployed in Russia’s Kursk region where Ukrainian troops have seized a swathe of territory.

Russia’s early morning missile and drone attack was the first on Kyiv in 73 days. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia is intensifying its strikes, apparently in an effort to discourage Ukrainians from continuing the war, which is approaching its 1,000-day milestone.

Russia appears to be pressing its advantage as doubt swirls about how Washington might change policy on the war after Donald Trump takes office as U.S. president in January. The U.S. is the biggest provider of military help to Ukraine.

Trump has slammed the Biden administration for giving Kyiv tens of billions of dollars in aid and has promised to quickly end the conflict. Ukraine’s international backers fear that any rushed settlement would mostly benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte delivers a statement with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, not pictured, prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Nicolas Tucat, Pool Photo via AP)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, center right, walks with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, center left, prior to delivering a statement at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, right, delivers a statement with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, right, shake hands with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Nicolas Tucat, Pool Photo via AP)

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a statement with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, not pictured, prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Nicolas Tucat, Pool Photo via AP)

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers a statement prior to a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Republicans and Democrats awaited the outcome of vote-counting for crucial U.S. House districts in California on Wednesday, as the GOP moved within one win of maintaining control of the chamber next year.

In a rematch from 2022, Rep. Ken Calvert — the longest-serving Republican in the state’s congressional delegation — defeated rival Democrat Will Rollins in the 41st District, which lies east of Los Angeles and was a top target for national Democrats.

In Southern California's Orange County, Democrat Dave Min defeated Republican Scott Baugh in a closely divided swing district, ending Baugh's bid to seize the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in what was once a conservative stronghold.

The 47th District, southeast of Los Angeles, was a top target for national Republicans looking to protect and possibly expand the their narrow majority.

Calvert, who was backed by President-elect Donald Trump, claimed his 17th term in a district narrowly carried by Trump in 2020.

“This is a hard-fought victory that shows voters want someone who will put results above partisan politics,” Calvert said in a post on the social platform X.

Min, also posting on X, said that in Congress he will “fight to protect our democracy, safeguard our freedoms and expand economic opportunity.”

Baugh said on the same platform that “despite running a strong campaign … that effort is going to come up a little short.”

On Tuesday, Republican Rep. David Valadao’s victory in California’s 22nd District moved Republicans within two wins of retaining the House gavel, with the tally 216-207 in favor of the GOP, as counting continued in a sliver of races across the country.

With Calvert's win, the Republican tally reached 217.

Several races remained in play in California that could determine control of the House.

In the 45th District, anchored in Orange County, Republican Rep. Michelle Steel's lead over Democrat Derek Tran was whittled down to a few hundred votes as counting continued.

California is known as a liberal protectorate — Democrats hold every statewide office, dominate the Legislature and congressional delegation and outnumber registered Republicans by a staggering 2-1 ratio. Still, Republicans retain pockets of political clout in the Southern California suburbs and vast rural stretches, including the Central Valley farm belt.

Orange County was once considered conservative holy ground, where white, suburban homeowners delivered winning margins for Republicans year after year. It was a foundational block in the Reagan revolution. But the county has become more demographically diverse and Democratic over time, like much of the state.

The 47th District, which includes Huntington Beach and other famous surf breaks, has been occupied by Porter, a progressive favorite who in 2022 narrowly defeated Baugh, a former Republican legislator. Porter, known for grilling CEOs during Capitol Hill hearings, stepped aside to run for U.S. Senate, but lost in the primary.

Given the stakes in the closely divided district, the contest was especially rancorous. Min ads called Baugh a “MAGA extremist” who would endanger abortion rights. Baugh said Min’s “extreme liberal views” were out of step with the district.

FILE - Scott Baugh poses outside a polling place after voting in Huntington Beach, Calif., June 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Krysta Fauria, File)

FILE - California state Sen. Dave Min speaks to reporters in Huntington Beach, California, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia, File)

FILE - Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)