Politics More: Associated Press Ukraine Ted Cruz Senator Ted Cruz Is Headed To Ukrai

Ah yes.

The obligatory international trip that has nothing to do with their office and is always sure to include Israel in order to satisfy the US's Christian Zionists.

Shockingly, Ted Cruz is going to the Ukraine to meet with those who forced out their president. Not sure why, other than to be able to claim that he has some vaunted foreign policy experience that comes with flying over time zones, but gosh darn it, he is going and meeting with these folks.

Additionally, anyone ever find it disconcerting that seemingly every presidential candidate on both sides of the aisle find it necessary to go to Israel before running? Seems a bit on the pandering side to me. Why not some of our major trade partners instead, such as China or Mexico?

Anyway, I found it fascinating.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/sen-ted-cruz-ukraine-2014-5#ixzz31nDVOnxR

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas will visit Ukraine this month and meet with leaders of the protest movement that forced out the country's pro-Russian president

Frequently mentioned as a potential 2016 White House contender, Cruz also will visit other Eastern European countries and Israel on a trip that could be seen as an attempt to build his foreign policy credentials.

Cruz told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he'll meet with political, military, business and religious leaders in each country but declined to provide details, citing security concerns. His office said the visit will include meetings with protest leaders in Ukraine, which has scheduled a May 25 presidential vote.

A Republican, Cruz is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The trip is sponsored by Secure America Now, a conservative foreign policy group and Cruz will be the only lawmaker on the trip, his office said.

"Ukraine right now is facing an enormous threat from a resurgent Russia. (Russian President) Vladimir Putin has been quite naked about his desire to reconstitute as much as possible the old Soviet Union," Cruz said. "I have a particular responsibility to assess firsthand the current and future military threats that could jeopardize our safety and the security of our allies."

Cruz criticized the Obama administration as "tepid" in its response to the crisis in the Ukraine. He renewed his call for the U.S. to install anti-ballistic missile batteries in Poland and the Czech Republic as safeguards for Eastern Europe, and push for liquefied natural gas exports to reduce Ukraine's dependence on Russia.

He also said the U.S. should help create a board to bolster the value of Ukraine currency.

Cruz brushed off a question about his political future.

"The objective here is to learn and listen and see firsthand the challenges and threats facing our national security," he said.

Ukraine's caretaker government came to power in February following the ouster of Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych after months of protests in Kiev, leading to the worst standoff between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

Russia later annexed Crimea, and on Monday, pro-Moscow insurgents in eastern Ukraine declared independence and also sought to join Russia. On Tuesday, the defense ministry said six servicemen were ambushed and killed and eight others wounded in fighting with insurgents.

Last week, the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for U.S. citizens to defer all "non-essential" travel to Ukraine and avoid all travel within the eastern parts of the country. The warning cited the "possibility of violent clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian groups and the presence of Russian military forces in the Crimean Peninsula and on the eastern border of Ukraine."

Copyright (2014) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This

 

Cruz needs to google 'Svoboda', 'Right Sector' and 'Stephen Bandera' before making a fool of himself in Ukraine. Maybe also go back and listen to Nuland's '(*)(*)(*)(*) the EU' phone call to get an idea of what we've already done there . Or maybe just search YouTube for 'Neo-Nazis in Ukraine'.

Geez, if Cruz is typical of the thought processes emanating from DC, we're all in trouble.

 

What it's really all about...

Energy Prices are Big Part of Ukraine Crisis
May 22, 2014 — Russia's decision to intervene in Ukraine has caused a diplomatic and military crisis. But it has also sparked an economic and energy crisis, as Russia sharply increased the price of natural gas it exports to the country and Ukraine's interim leaders have been scrambling to find new and cheaper sources.

See also:

CHINA SIGNS 30-YEAR DEAL FOR RUSSIAN NATURAL GAS
May 21,`14 -- China signed a landmark $400 billion deal Wednesday to buy natural gas from Russia, binding Moscow more closely to Beijing at a time when President Vladimir Putin's relations with the West have deteriorated to the lowest point ever.

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/13/joe-bidens-son-hunter-head-legal-unit-ukraines-lar/

No conflict of interest here! We are involved in Ukraine to help the people ! /rolls eyes...

 

Poroshenko whuppin' up onna commie rebels...

More than 50 rebels killed as new Ukraine leader unleashes assault
Tue May 27, 2014 - Ukrainian aircraft and paratroopers killed more than 50 pro-Russian rebels in an assault that raged into a second day on Tuesday after a newly elected president vowed to crush the revolt in the east once and for all.

 

Why? Bandera is long dead. and the remainder a marginal (as evidenced by the election results), albeit entertaining sliver..

 

Ted will walk around....talk to some "leaders".....look at the eastern border through binoculars.....make some bland speech about freedom and "getting tough with Putin"....

come home, claim he's an expert on the situation and "knows just what to do" with the implied "hint" that he will do it when he becomes President.

 

That is dangerous they are at war with Russia, is he going to martyr himself so America has a good reason to go to war?

As for Israel that is God's country, there is nothing wrong with pandering to the chosen people, they bring blessings to Christians so that shouldn't be a problem to anyone unless their atheist or Muslim..

 

so, he'll be no better or worse off than most of the 'experts' here? good.

Ukraine is a beautiful country. Great food and beer. Hot women. he could do worse.

 

Your 'sliver' trapped people in the Odessa trade union building, set it on fire and beat the few who escaped the flames. Forty died in that incident.

Hope you were 'entertained'.

 

Why would anyone be entertained by separatist violence? and why would you hope that I would be entertained?

Nothing funny about separatists fomenting violence and discord within the borders of a sovereign nation, huh?

 

YOU called them an 'entertaining sliver'. Here's your sliver in action.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=H4dJRnI-X8Q

 

no results. but i'm guessing the charred corpses video.

today's events probably wont bring you much solace, then..

 

The link works fine for me. No, it's not the vid you mention.

 

"Kids react to old computers" is what that link produces..

 

It works fine for me. "The Odessa Massacre - What Really Happened" is the vid, uploaded by Storm Clouds Gathering.

Anyone else try it and have a problem?