Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Biden warned of Russia’s intent to “collapse the liberal international order.” The 1980s is frantically texting him asking why he won’t answer his phone.

It was only four years ago when President Obama and his surrogates openly mocked the notion that Russia was a geopolitical foe, so their recent concern about Russia is a little hard to swallow. One finds it hard to see it as anything more than a tactic driven almost entirely by domestic political battles and a convenient way to poison the well for the incoming Trump administration, but Vice President Joe Biden took it an international audience this week.

“Under President Putin, Russia is working with every tool available to them to whittle away at the edges of the European project, test the fault lines of Western nations and return to a politics defined by spheres of influence,” Mr Biden told the assembled leaders, CEOs and bankers on Wednesday.

“We see it in their aggression against their neighbours… we see it in their worldwide use of propaganda and false information campaigns.

The soon to be ex-VP pointed his finger directly at Vladimir Putin but it is easy to see the ant-Trump subtext.

“I’ll not mince words,” Biden said during an hour-long address at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “This movement is principally led by Russia under President Putin.”

He added: “With many countries in Europe slated to hold elections this year, we should expect further attempts by Russia to meddle in the democratic process. It will occur again, I promise you.”

“And again the purpose is clear: to collapse the liberal international order.”

We’ve sure come a long way from “reset button” fiascoes and Obama telling Russian President Medvedev that he’ll have more flexibility after the election.

Who would have thought that the only thing needed to make Democrats treat Russia as an adversary would be a story about Republicans benefitting from Russian meddling in our elections?