And President Biden isn’t just fielding criticism from naysayers; he’s also resisting the urge to escalate the conflict at every turn. Despite pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Biden has refused to order a no-fly zone over Ukraine, which could result in nuclear war, and his administration nixed a Polish plan to send warplanes to Ukraine. The President is holding the line—the line of democracy against autocracy—without giving Putin an excuse to use his nuclear warheads.

Almost singlehandedly and against criticism from every corner, Biden is preserving NATO, regaining America’s position as the leader of the West and showing the steely determination needed in this type of crisis.

In branding Putin a war criminal, like in his ad-libbed line in Poland, the President is indeed inviting regime change in Russia. And yet, to date, the United States intelligence has been spot on. As we navigate the next couple of incredibly dangerous weeks, it is comforting that we have a leader who knows where is going and how to get there.

In a career of fine moments, this may be President Biden’s finest.