[DoodleDawg]

...assuming his goal for this rhetoric is to actually put missiles in place. Ever barganed for something you don’t even want, but your negotiating opponent wants even less, to get something you DO want?

So what does Cruz expect? Putin will withdraw from the Ukraine because we threaten to put missile in Europe? And what makes him think the Europeans will play along with escalating the situation? It seems like an empty, expensive threat to me.

[AnAmericanAbroad]

Perhaps what Sen. Cruz is thinking is a containment strategy; a cordon sanitaire around Russia. The idea is to prevent Russian expansionism into the former Warsaw Pact nations that are now members of NATO, including the Baltic states, all of which have sizable Russian-minority populations. And it's no secret that Putin uses that as his excuse; he stirs up trouble in a land he covets by using ethnic Russians as agents provocatuers .

[SoConPubbie]

So what does Cruz expect? Putin will withdraw from the Ukraine because we threaten to put missile in Europe? And what makes him think the Europeans will play along with escalating the situation? It seems like an empty, expensive threat to me.

I'm pretty sure Putin (and Russia by extension) will look at the placement of missiles in country on their border as most sane people would.

If you attempt to take these countries or violate their borders, there will be a price.

Much as Reagan did with the USSR. He built up our defensive and offensive capabilities, and yes it was expensive, but it force Russia to do the same and it bankrupted them and their Evil Empire fell.

It sends a message.

But you know that, it's just your Libertarian, head-in-the-sand politics that keep you from saying it.