Ted Cruz in Foreign Policy

On Foreign Policy: Appeasement historically leads to more violence

Instead of providing clarity, the Obama administration offers tortured semantics. The interim agreement over Iran's nuclear program is referred to as a display of "international unity." And now, the Russian invasion of Ukraine was euphemistically designated "an uncontested arrival."

This is the language of fools. Appeasement, historically, leads to more and more violence. Bullies and tyrants are only encouraged when the US uses words that willfully ignore the reality of the threats the US and our allies face.

Ironically, this administration's effort to avoid conflict at all costs makes conflict all the more likely. Putin knows there will be no serious reprisals for aggression from an American president who was only waiting for his re-election to give him the "flexibility" to make additional concessions at the negotiating table.

On Homeland Security: Suspend Russia from G8 & withdraw from arms control treaties

• The US should urge the G8 to suspend Russia immediately on the grounds that it is not contributing to a civil international order [based on the Ukraine invasion].
• Congress should start a formal review of the options for US withdrawal from arms control treaties with Russia.
• The secretary of defense should consider the immediate restoration of the full missile defense installations originally planned for Poland and the Czech Republic that were canceled by the Obama administration in 2009.
• The president should immediately offer the government of Ukraine in Kiev a free trade agreement indicating that goods are welcome in the US, and explore other options to assist them in their economic recovery that are consistent with free market principles, including access to US energy exports and assistance to develop Ukraine's own energy resources so as to allow them to be independent of energy blackmail by Russia.