NEW YORK - U.S. President Joe Biden will use his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday to make a full-throated appeal for world leaders to stand with Ukraine against Russian invaders - and he hopes Republicans in Congress will take notice too.

Biden's address at the annual gathering is the centerpiece event of his three-day visit to New York, which will include meetings with the heads of five Central Asian nations, and the leaders of Israel and Brazil.

Biden, a Democrat, has made rallying U.S. allies to support Ukraine a leading component of U.S. foreign policy, arguing the world must send a clear signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he will not be able to outlast the West.

"We rallied the world to support Ukraine and united NATO because I was convinced at the beginning that Putin was counting on NATO not being able to stick together and that would be enough" for victory, Biden said at an election campaign fundraiser in New York on Monday.

But Biden has faced criticism from some Republicans who want the United States to spend less money there. Former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, has argued he would seek a quick end to the war if he is elected again.

House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the top Republican in Washington, has questioned whether the U.S. should keep sending billions in weaponry to Ukraine.

In his speech, Biden plans to argue that Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and occupation of territory is a violation of the founding UN Charter, a main principle of which is respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, U.S. officials said.

"He will make a very full-throated defense of why supporting Ukraine really does matter, not just for our national security but for the maintenance of the UN Charter and the idea of sovereignty and territorial integrity and what all that means," a senior administration official said.

Another administration official said Biden and U.S. officials would also focus on mobilizing resources for infrastructure and sustainable development and fighting climate change.

Solid majorities of Americans support providing weaponry to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia and believe that such aid demonstrates to China and other U.S. rivals a will to protect U.S. interests and allies, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey...