There’s been a lot of attention paid to Joe Biden’s “minor incursion” remark about Russia going into Ukraine. The Biden Administration spent a lot of time yesterday trying to clean up the concern that the remark caused.

But that wasn’t the only problem with what Biden said about Russia. Biden just spilled everything he likely was advised on the subject, with no filter as to how bad it might be to say out loud what he was saying. He said, “My guess is he will move in, [to Ukraine], he has to do something.”

🇺🇸 U.S. President Joe Biden on Vladimir Putin ordering a Russian invasion of Ukraine:

“My guess is he will move in, [to Ukraine], he has to do something.” pic.twitter.com/poWAtSt3tD

— Alex Tiffin (@RespectIsVital) January 19, 2022

Biden even said Russia would prevail over time.

🇺🇸 U.S. President Joe Biden sounding very defeatist in Ukraine. Says Russians will have heavy losses but prevail over time. pic.twitter.com/n2o0xb7lTX

— Alex Tiffin (@RespectIsVital) January 19, 2022

So, he’s telling Putin, “Hey, we even think you’ll win if you do it.” How gone is Biden at this point?

But notice, everything he’s saying is reactive — he’s not setting the tone (as President Donald Trump did). He’s reacting and crossing his fingers that Putin doesn’t do anything bad, even though he thinks he will and that he’d win.

Ukraine must have choked on that. We saw how steamed the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky got over Biden’s clueless remarks, when Zelensky commented that there were no “minor incursions” because he knew such a comment increased the danger to his country.

Even comedian Stephen Colbert, who is constantly pimping for the Democrats, had to go in and mock that one, and for the first time in a long time, he was both right and funny.

Ooof. Even CBS's Stephen Colbert ripped Biden for his comments about Russia-Ukraine: "[Putin] 'has to do something?' I would hate to see Joe as a hostage negotiator. 'Why don't we all just calm down? Just let everyone go…or shoot [them]. You gotta do something!" pic.twitter.com/wzh3UXdWZd

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 21, 2022

Colbert trashing Biden for his “minor incursion” comment: “You can’t tell them that a little bit is okay? There’s a reason Nancy Reagan’s anti-drug campaign wasn’t “Just Say No Unless It’s Your Cousin’s Wedding. A Little Bump of Coke in the Bathroom’s Not Gonna Kill Ya. YOLO.” pic.twitter.com/OuaA76FsmZ

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 21, 2022

Colbert on Biden saying Putin would “pay a serious and dear price” for invading Ukraine that he’d come to “regret”: “I wouldn’t say regret is a big concern for a man who shows this much nipple. You can use him as one of this springy door stops!” pic.twitter.com/LCByJnVYKW

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 21, 2022

Colbert on Biden claiming his mom used to tell him “you’re biting your nose off to spite your face”: “I’m pretty sure the expression is cut off your nose to spite your face. I’m not sure it’s possible to bite your nose off…Momma Biden was loaded with folksy sayings[.]” (4/4) pic.twitter.com/jT94UAB0rq

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) January 21, 2022

Then during Thursday’s press conference, as the Biden team tried to usher reporters out and prevent questions about Russia, Fox’s Jacqui Heinrich asked, “Why are you waiting on Putin to make the first move?” Biden’s response was “What a stupid question,” with a sneer.

But it wasn’t a stupid question, and even a former senior National Security adviser in the Obama Administration, ex-Global Engagement Director Brett Bruen, pointed that out.

It isn't a stupid question.

It's a really important one.

We continue to allow Putin to set the terms, timeline, & trajectory of this crisis.

It's time we stop being so reactive & start creating some of our own conditions. https://t.co/eVGpVYbrER

— Brett Bruen (@BrettBruen) January 20, 2022

Biden’s attitude goes back to how he’s been handling not only Russia but everything right down the line — he’s the bystander ‘leader.’ Things are happening around him and he’s reacting, mostly badly. He’s not setting the agenda on anything.

Now, I thought that the Obama Administration was reactive and not proactive. But Biden is far worse. Responding doesn’t mean military escalation. But one thing Trump never got credit for was that he set the agenda. Other countries didn’t generally want to tick him off because they knew he would respond. He dropped bombs on the heads of 300 Russians in Syria, teaching Putin and others that he would act. Knowing there is strength fends off war. Knowing there is weakness invites it.