He's right, mind you. But it was not diplomatic--in addition to being unwise--to actually say it. Stratfor notes this, too:
Biden, however, is saying that whatever the current temporary regional advantage the Russians might have, in the end, their economy is crippled and Russia is not a country to be taken seriously. He went on publicly to point out that this should not be pointed out publicly, as there is no value in embarrassing Russia. The Russians certainly now understand what it means to hit the reset button Obama had referred to: The reset is back to the 1980s and 1990s.
Amazingly, Biden also said Russia's decline should not be mentioned in public.
As Basil Fawlty might have noted, "don't mention the Cold War!
The nuance! It's blinding!
