Posted on 03/06/2014 12:43:25 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) preferred plan for Ukraine: let the market fix it.
The Texas Republican wouldn’t commit to voting for aid for the country fending off Russian President Vladimir Putin’s army — or say whether there would need to be a financial offset to get his support — but argued that neither this nor conservative calls for military exercises are the right approach.
Instead, Cruz argued for immediately passing a new free trade treaty with Ukraine and “looking at existing treaties between the United States and Russia, and considering abrogating those treaties.”
“More important than aid is expanding economic trade — expanding mutually beneficial commerce, helping open the door for energy to flow to Ukraine in the private market,” Cruz said, speaking exclusively to POLITICO after addressing AIPAC’s Texas delegation Tuesday afternoon.
He said Russia should be kicked out of the G-8, but that the United States shouldn’t wait on its allies for further action. That includes, Cruz said, re-initiating plans to move forward with the missile defense system in Europe, which Obama scaled back while in earlier discussions with Russia.
The crisis in Ukraine, he said, proves that his vision of Republican foreign policy is the right one, for both the GOP and the country — and is “very much the same as Ronald Reagan’s,” invoking the former president, as he often does.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
The US has been trading with Ukraine for 20 years.
The US government has these records going back to 1992:
https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c4623.html
Through backing the World Bank, various European organizations and investment and trade through private sector American companies, America already is massively supporting Ukraine.
More info at the US-Ukraine Business Council.
This
http://global.mondelezinternational.com/ua/uk/home/index.aspx
is Kraft foods Ukraine subsidiary, in operation for almost 20 years now.
There are hundreds of US companies doing business in Ukraine.
We can expand it.
Be sure to read the entire piece.
Hey, IMHO, politically, he did a good job threadin’ the needle.
I don’t want to rain on Ted’s parade. IMHO, he’s the best in the field at present.
I’m just puttin’ out some facts.
I’d be REALLY impressed if a candidate actually got into the facts, all the banks, foundations, businesses, organizations, etc., and use all that for speech fodder.
But it looks like they all just stay quiet on all that stuff when it comes to mass media.
It’s ok for now, I understand. Open your mouth on too much detail and your career will end fast.
The media isn’t into facts.
It’s amazing anything of substance gets aired.
How about supporting restoration of their constitutionally elected government. If they can overthrow their president just by protesting why can’t we?
If you want to REALLY do something, open immigration to the Christians (Orthodox or not.
Yay! Some sense on the subject.
Personally I think a carrot and stick approach should be used with Russia as well. Unfortunately, Obama’s weakness and lawlessness have emboldened the Putins of the world and Obama has squandered the carrots on our enemies and doesn’t carry much of a stick these days.
Ted Cruz Ping!
If you want on/off this ping list, please let me know.
Please beware, this is a high-volume ping list!
Sometimes you have to admit in a football season that you lost the previous Sunday’s game, that nothing will change that, and that you need to prepare for the upcoming game.
That is what Cruz is saying. He’s right.
As for the opponent who beat you, you’ll see him again, and that prior loss is the data to analyze on how to win the next time you face off.
Strengthen the Ukraine through free trade, and the Ukraine becomes something beneficial even to Russia that they don’t want to injure.
I’m totally with Ted on this.
His original comments were a little too much beating the war drums. This is better.
I get the feeling Cruz isn't as good on 20th centruy history as he is on so many subjects. This more trade thing? He's got to do that without undermining the US citizens who need jobs. Too often, more trade means more cheap goods dumped on the US market.
The US should stay out of this one. Let Germany and the rest of Europe figure out how to help what will be left of western Ukraine, and how to provide for its oil and gas.
Good post. Since he thinks trade is the fix-all, we should try it with Iran but perhaps he is just getting off his war-horse.
This is the EU’s problem. We don’t have to spend treasure or die.
What about the suggestion of sending Kerry to visit Kiev and dare the Russians to invade and put the secretary of state at risk?
Why not call Putin’s bluff. The only reason he is flexing his muscle is we are weak. He is all swagger.
The history since independence as been UK/US/EU business and trade promoted publicly by governments, international governance organizations, trade associations and private sector business, working in partnership.
Perhaps Ted is just not aware of the magnitude of trade and investment between Ukraine and the West.
Perhaps he’s not up to speed on State Department operations and public statements in this regard.
It’s been an enormous operation if you consider World Bank and the US directly, as well as all the other NGOs and international banking organizations, etc.
“Increase trade” is a statement that will sound quite different to those who know how fast trade has been expanding.
The US-Ukraine Business Council had only a handful of US companies as members in 2005 - today it has over 200.
Increasing trade would mean then, well, allowing them to continue to expand, to hundreds more.
Which... well... they ARE encouraged to continue to expand right now. There has never been ANY request by the US government to stop expanding trade and investment with and in Ukraine.
But to the low-information voter, yes, the principle sounds great.
They just don’t realize that a policy of expanding trade is no change from the policy which has been consistent throughout the Clinton, Bush II and Obama administrations.
Some of my threads about historical Western trade and investment in post-Soviet Ukraine:
UPDATE 1-EBRD offers Ukraine 5 bln euro package, sticks with Russia
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3130120/posts
IFC Helps Ukrainian Poultry Producer Take Flight [2013 article, IFC in Ukraine since 1993]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3130106/posts
Ukraine Background: Conspiracies or Puppets [Vanity]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3126045/posts
We could give him a horse, bow, and sword and tell him to do his Genghis Khan routine. :>)
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