Some experts suggest that while Biden is making final moves to solidify his priorities, many of these efforts may face reversal once Donald Trump takes office on January 20, 2025.

Biden's immediate focus has been on wrapping up loose ends in domestic policy, particularly through strategic use of the remaining federal budget.

Edward Rhodes, a political scientist at George Mason University, said: "He'll be busy trying to spend all the money that's been allocated, and trying to tie down as many loose ends as possible, to give the incoming Trump administration as little flexibility as he can, in terms of reversing U.S. policies."

This would reflect the outgoing president's attempts to secure his initiatives ahead of the incoming administration entering office, particularly on legislative and budgetary matters.

Meanwhile, in Estonia, one of the main concerns is support for Ukraine. The outgoing president has already given the go-ahead for Ukraine to use MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) long-range missiles in strikes on Russian forces, which Ukraine has already taken advantage of, and upped financial aid to that country in the closing days of his presidency.

The administration seemingly aims to put Ukraine in a strong military situation before the new administration assumes power.

The ability to entrench policies in a way that outlasts a change in administration remains a key limitation for outgoing presidents.

For Ukraine, however, the immediate concern lies in leveraging already-approved aid, as Biden's long-term vision for foreign policy will likely not extend beyond his term.

Liis Mure, defense adviser at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, said: "It seems to me that the administration is now focused on putting Ukraine in the strongest possible military position before the new administration takes office."

At the same time, it is not clear if any further major developments on that front will ensue in the next seven-and-a-half weeks.

"It is hard to predict whether there will be any major decisions like we saw in the past week," Mure went on, though what has been done already telegraphs the centrality of Ukraine to allied nations and is critical, as approved aid packages are set to reach Ukraine in the coming months.

"Experts believe there will not be an immediate pause in aid to Ukraine due to the change in administration, as the aid packages currently approved will mostly reach Ukraine in the coming months," Mure added.

Additionally, the administration still has approximately US$7 billion in allocated aid, which Biden is working to expedite before leaving office. "There should not be an overnight end to the aid. The question is more about the long-term future of U.S. military aid, which will hinge on the new Trump administration," the embassy adviser said.

Despite these efforts, experts caution that Biden's actions could face significant challenges, particularly in foreign policy.

Edward Rhodes responded to the question of what more can be done on that score by saying: "Probably not very much, because just about anything he does can be reversed as soon as the Trump administration comes in."

While much of Biden's foreign policy attention is on Ukraine and Europe, experts suggest a potential pivot in U.S. priorities under Trump, though perhaps not falling predominantly on Ukraine or Europe as a whole.

"I think we can be very cautiously optimistic that we're not going to see dramatic changes immediately in terms of American foreign policy towards Europe; perhaps towards China," Edward Rhodes said, reflecting the broader strategic debate within U.S. foreign policy circles of balancing commitments to allies in Europe while addressing the growing challenge posed by China.

In any case, a brief pause will ensue tomorrow, Thursday, which is Thanksgiving in the U.S., about as late in the year as it can possibly fall.

President Biden continued in the tradition of pardoning turkeys, the traditional Thanksgiving dish, in a lighthearted gesture which this time preserved two birds, named Peach and Blossom, from the table.

The president also made a guest appearance on the meal line, serving a holiday dinner to members of the U.S. Coast Guard based in Staten Island, New York City.

At the election earlier this month, Trump's Republicans also gained a majority in both chambers of Congress, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.

Biden had already extended the traditional Oval Office fireside welcome/handover chat to Trump.

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