Sen. Ted Cruz is calling for the Obama administration to place missile installations in Eastern Europe in the wake of Russia’s moves in Ukraine.
The
Washington Post reports the Texas Republican made the comments during an interview Monday.
"Beyond sanctions and aid to Ukraine, the most important thing we could be doing right now, with respect to Russia, is installing anti-ballistic missiles in Eastern Europe," Cruz said.
"Appeasement has not worked. After more than five years of being unwilling to stand up to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Russian aggression, it is time for the United States to honor our commitments to our friends."
The proposal is not a new one. President Bush recommended the U.S. have missiles in Poland and the Czech Republic during his time in office, but in 2009 President Obama
scratched the plan and instead focused on defending against threats from Iran.
And last year, the administration
scrapped a proposal that would have deployed a missile shield in Eastern Europe.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney
called for the U.S. to install weapons systems in Europe last week.
"Look, I’m encouraged the sanctions are moving forward, and I hope they can be implemented quickly, before Russian officials can move their assets," Cruz said in the Post story. "Any sign of admonition is encouraging. But it is not enough."
Crimea Sunday voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia, a move that bolsters Russia’s military presence in the region — especially given the location of the Black Sea peninsula. The U.S. hit Russia with sanctions and promised more in the near future.
"Going forward, we can calibrate our response based on whether Russia chooses to escalate or to de-escalate the situation,"
Obama said.
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