Ted Cruz: How U.S. must push back Putin in Syria

By Ted Cruz
Updated 1:53 PM EDT, Fri October 9, 2015
Barack Obama and Russian President Valdimir Putin toast during a luncheon hosted by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the 70th annual U.N. General Assembly on September 28 in New York City.
Photos: Tense moments between Obama and Putin
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Barack Obama and Russian President Valdimir Putin toast during a luncheon hosted by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the 70th annual U.N. General Assembly on September 28 in New York City.
Obama and Putin shake hands while posing for a photo ahead of their meeting at U.N. headquarters on September 28 in New York.
Photos: Tense moments between Obama and Putin
PHOTO: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Obama and Putin shake hands while posing for a photo ahead of their meeting at U.N. headquarters on September 28 in New York.
Putin speaks with Obama during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, China on November 11, 2014. U.S.-Russia relations have descended to a new low since Russia annexed Crimea in March.
Photos: Tense moments between Obama and Putin
PHOTO: AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Presidential Press Service, File
Putin speaks with Obama during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, China on November 11, 2014. U.S.-Russia relations have descended to a new low since Russia annexed Crimea in March.
Obama and Putin share a comical and awkward moment on a large split-screen during an international ceremony on the stretch code-named Sword Beach, in Ouistreham, France, to commemorate the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 2014. Obama and Putin had an informal 15-minute chat during lunch at the ceremony that marked the 70th anniversary of the D-day landings. "It's a positive thing that they spoke, but more needs to be done," a senior U.S. official said at the time.
Photos: Tense moments between Obama and Putin
PHOTO: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Obama and Putin share a comical and awkward moment on a large split-screen during an international ceremony on the stretch code-named Sword Beach, in Ouistreham, France, to commemorate the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 2014. Obama and Putin had an informal 15-minute chat during lunch at the ceremony that marked the 70th anniversary of the D-day landings. "It's a positive thing that they spoke, but more needs to be done," a senior U.S. official said at the time.
Putin greets Obama at the G-20 summit on September 5, 2013 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The United States and Russia have been squaring off over the bloody civil war in Syria.
Photos: Tense moments between Obama and Putin
PHOTO: Guneev Sergey/Host Photo Agency via Getty Images
Putin greets Obama at the G-20 summit on September 5, 2013 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The United States and Russia have been squaring off over the bloody civil war in Syria.
Obama listens to Putin after their bilateral meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 18, 2012 on the sidelines of the G-20 summit. The meeting was the first time Obama and Putin held face-to-face talks since Putin returned to the president's office earlier that year. Obama said he and Putin discussed the conflict in Syria and "agreed that we need to see a cessation of the violence, that a political process has to be created to prevent civil war."
Photos: Tense moments between Obama and Putin
PHOTO: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/GettyImages
Obama listens to Putin after their bilateral meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 18, 2012 on the sidelines of the G-20 summit. The meeting was the first time Obama and Putin held face-to-face talks since Putin returned to the president's office earlier that year. Obama said he and Putin discussed the conflict in Syria and "agreed that we need to see a cessation of the violence, that a political process has to be created to prevent civil war."
Obama, who had become U.S. President six months earlier, enjoys tea with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and members of the American delegation at Putin's dacha on July 7, 2009 in Moscow.
Photos: Tense moments between Obama and Putin
PHOTO: Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images
Obama, who had become U.S. President six months earlier, enjoys tea with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and members of the American delegation at Putin's dacha on July 7, 2009 in Moscow.

Story highlights

Ted Cruz:: Putin is strong-arming into the Middle East to prop up his client, Syria, and the Obama administration is caught flat-footed

The U.S. Syria policy is failing, and the U.S. can regain advantage by stressing exceptionalism, human rights and missile defense, he says

Editor’s Note: Ted Cruz is a U.S. senator from Texas. He is seeking the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) —  

Over the last week, the world has once again looked on aghast as President Vladimir Putin has taken violent advantage of regional instability to re-establish Russia’s influence, this time in the Middle East. Despite promises to join the United States in a counterterrorism effort against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Putin is on a mission to protect Russian assets in the Mediterranean by propping up his client, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Ted Cruz
Courtesy of Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz

Meanwhile, the Obama administration has been caught flat-footed as Putin’s actions threaten to inflame and destabilize an already acute crisis.

Enough already. We don’t need a reset. We need a reality check.

Putin has been unmoved by the Obama administration’s threats of isolation on the international stage, and economic sanctions have on their own been no deterrent to his opportunistic behavior. More of the same will not result in success.

We need a coherent plan to address both the specific crisis in Syria and the challenge posed more broadly by Putin’s resurgent Russia. The good news is that America still has options – if our leaders can summon the will to exercise them.

For starters, in Syria we can’t double down on the failed strategies that have given Putin his opportunity to intervene. We are now two years out from President Obama’s proposed intervention after al-Assad used chemical weapons against his own people.

Displaced Syrian residents wait to receive food aid distributed by the UN Relief and Works Agency at the besieged al-Yarmouk camp, south of Damascus, Syria, on January 31, 2014. According to the UN Envoy for Syria, an estimated 400,000 Syrians have been killed since an uprising in March 2011 spiraled into civil war. See how the conflict has unfolded.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: UNRWA/Reuters/Landov
Displaced Syrian residents wait to receive food aid distributed by the UN Relief and Works Agency at the besieged al-Yarmouk camp, south of Damascus, Syria, on January 31, 2014. According to the UN Envoy for Syria, an estimated 400,000 Syrians have been killed since an uprising in March 2011 spiraled into civil war. See how the conflict has unfolded.
Photos: The Vietnam War
An injured man lying in the back of a vehicle is rushed to a hospital in Daraa, Syria, on March 23, 2011. Violence flared in Daraa after a group of teens and children were arrested for writing political graffiti. Dozens of people were killed when security forces cracked down on demonstrations.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images
An injured man lying in the back of a vehicle is rushed to a hospital in Daraa, Syria, on March 23, 2011. Violence flared in Daraa after a group of teens and children were arrested for writing political graffiti. Dozens of people were killed when security forces cracked down on demonstrations.
Anti-government protesters demonstrate in Daraa on March 23, 2011. In response to continuing protests, the Syrian government announced several plans to appease citizens.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Hussein Malla/AP
Anti-government protesters demonstrate in Daraa on March 23, 2011. In response to continuing protests, the Syrian government announced several plans to appease citizens.
Syrian children walk over bricks stored for road repairs during a spontaneous protest June 15, 2011, at a refugee camp near the Syrian border in Yayladagi, Turkey.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Vadim Ghirda/AP
Syrian children walk over bricks stored for road repairs during a spontaneous protest June 15, 2011, at a refugee camp near the Syrian border in Yayladagi, Turkey.
Jamal al-Wadi speaks in Istanbul on September 15, 2011, after an alignment of Syrian opposition leaders announced the creation of a Syrian National Council -- their bid to present a united front against Bashar al-Assad's regime and establish a democratic system.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Burhan Ozbilici/AP
Jamal al-Wadi speaks in Istanbul on September 15, 2011, after an alignment of Syrian opposition leaders announced the creation of a Syrian National Council -- their bid to present a united front against Bashar al-Assad's regime and establish a democratic system.
Delegates from Arab League member states and Turkey discuss a response to the government's crackdown in Syria on November 16, 2011.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Abdelhak Senna/AFP/Getty Images
Delegates from Arab League member states and Turkey discuss a response to the government's crackdown in Syria on November 16, 2011.
Supporters of al-Assad celebrate during a referendum vote in Damascus on February 26, 2012. Opposition activists reported at least 55 deaths across the country as Syrians headed to the polls. Analysts and protesters widely described the constitutional referendum as a farce. "Essentially, what (al-Assad's) done here is put a piece of paper that he controls to a vote that he controls so that he can try and maintain control," a US State Department spokeswoman said.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Khaled Al-Hariri/Reuters/LANDOV
Supporters of al-Assad celebrate during a referendum vote in Damascus on February 26, 2012. Opposition activists reported at least 55 deaths across the country as Syrians headed to the polls. Analysts and protesters widely described the constitutional referendum as a farce. "Essentially, what (al-Assad's) done here is put a piece of paper that he controls to a vote that he controls so that he can try and maintain control," a US State Department spokeswoman said.
Syrian refugees walk across a field in Syria before crossing into Turkey on March 14, 2012.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images
Syrian refugees walk across a field in Syria before crossing into Turkey on March 14, 2012.
Rebel fighters with the Free Syrian Army capture a police officer in Aleppo, Syria, who they believed to be pro-regime militiaman on July 31, 2012. Dozens of officers were reportedly killed as rebels seized police stations in the city.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Emin Ozmen/AFP/Getty Images
Rebel fighters with the Free Syrian Army capture a police officer in Aleppo, Syria, who they believed to be pro-regime militiaman on July 31, 2012. Dozens of officers were reportedly killed as rebels seized police stations in the city.
A Free Syrian Army fighter runs for cover as a Syrian Army tank shell hits a building across the street during clashes in the Salaheddine neighborhood of central Aleppo on August 17, 2012.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters/Landov
A Free Syrian Army fighter runs for cover as a Syrian Army tank shell hits a building across the street during clashes in the Salaheddine neighborhood of central Aleppo on August 17, 2012.
Family members mourn the deaths of their relatives in front of a field hospital in Aleppo on August 21, 2012.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Edouard Elias/Getty Images
Family members mourn the deaths of their relatives in front of a field hospital in Aleppo on August 21, 2012.
A Syrian man carrying grocery bags dodges sniper fire in Aleppo as he runs through an alley near a checkpoint manned by the Free Syrian Army on September 14, 2012.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian man carrying grocery bags dodges sniper fire in Aleppo as he runs through an alley near a checkpoint manned by the Free Syrian Army on September 14, 2012.
Free Syrian Army fighters are reflected in a mirror they use to see a Syrian Army post only 50 meters away in Aleppo on September 16, 2012.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Marco Longari/AFP/Getty Images
Free Syrian Army fighters are reflected in a mirror they use to see a Syrian Army post only 50 meters away in Aleppo on September 16, 2012.
Smoke rises over the streets after a mortar bomb from Syria landed in the Turkish border village of Akcakale on October 3, 2012. Five people were killed. In response, Turkey fired on Syrian targets and its parliament authorized a resolution giving the government permission to deploy soldiers to foreign countries.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Rauf Maltas/Anadolu Agency/Reuters/LANDOV
Smoke rises over the streets after a mortar bomb from Syria landed in the Turkish border village of Akcakale on October 3, 2012. Five people were killed. In response, Turkey fired on Syrian targets and its parliament authorized a resolution giving the government permission to deploy soldiers to foreign countries.
A Syrian rebel walks inside a burnt section of the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo hours before the Syrian army retook control of the complex on October 14, 2012.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian rebel walks inside a burnt section of the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo hours before the Syrian army retook control of the complex on October 14, 2012.
An Israeli tank crew sits on the Golan Heights overlooking the Syrian village of Breqa on November 6, 2012. Israel fired warning shots toward Syria after a mortar shell hit an Israeli military post. It was the first time Israel fired on Syria across the Golan Heights since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images
An Israeli tank crew sits on the Golan Heights overlooking the Syrian village of Breqa on November 6, 2012. Israel fired warning shots toward Syria after a mortar shell hit an Israeli military post. It was the first time Israel fired on Syria across the Golan Heights since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
Smoke rises in the Hanano and Bustan al-Basha districts in Aleppo as fighting continues through the night on December 1, 2012.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Javier Manzano/AFP/Getty Images
Smoke rises in the Hanano and Bustan al-Basha districts in Aleppo as fighting continues through the night on December 1, 2012.
The bodies of three children are laid out for identification by family members at a makeshift hospital in Aleppo on December 2, 2012. The children were allegedly killed in a mortar shell attack that landed close to a bakery in the city.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Javier Manzano/AFP/Getty Images
The bodies of three children are laid out for identification by family members at a makeshift hospital in Aleppo on December 2, 2012. The children were allegedly killed in a mortar shell attack that landed close to a bakery in the city.
A father reacts after the deaths of two of his children in Aleppo on January 3, 2013.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Muzaffar Salman/Reuters/Landov
A father reacts after the deaths of two of his children in Aleppo on January 3, 2013.
Syrians look for survivors amid the rubble of a building targeted by a missile in the al-Mashhad neighborhood of Aleppo on January 7, 2013.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Achilleas Zavallis/AFP/Getty Images
Syrians look for survivors amid the rubble of a building targeted by a missile in the al-Mashhad neighborhood of Aleppo on January 7, 2013.
Rebels launch a missile near the Abu Baker brigade in Al-Bab, Syria, on January 16, 2013.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Edouard Elias/AFP/Getty Images
Rebels launch a missile near the Abu Baker brigade in Al-Bab, Syria, on January 16, 2013.
An aerial view shows the Zaatari refugee camp near the Jordanian city of Mafraq on July 18, 2013.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
An aerial view shows the Zaatari refugee camp near the Jordanian city of Mafraq on July 18, 2013.
The UN Security Council passes a resolution September 27, 2013, requiring Syria to eliminate its arsenal of chemical weapons. Al-Assad said he would abide by the resolution.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
The UN Security Council passes a resolution September 27, 2013, requiring Syria to eliminate its arsenal of chemical weapons. Al-Assad said he would abide by the resolution.
Residents run from a fire at a gasoline and oil shop in Aleppo's Bustan Al-Qasr neighborhood on October 20, 2013. Witnesses said the fire was caused by a bullet from a pro-government sniper.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Haleem Al-Halabi/Reuters/Landov
Residents run from a fire at a gasoline and oil shop in Aleppo's Bustan Al-Qasr neighborhood on October 20, 2013. Witnesses said the fire was caused by a bullet from a pro-government sniper.
Syrian children wait as doctors perform medical checkups at a refugee center in Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 26, 2013.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters/LANDOV
Syrian children wait as doctors perform medical checkups at a refugee center in Sofia, Bulgaria, on October 26, 2013.
An injured man is helped following an airstrike in Aleppo's Maadi neighborhood on December 17, 2013.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Mohammed Al-Khateib/AFP/Getty Images
An injured man is helped following an airstrike in Aleppo's Maadi neighborhood on December 17, 2013.
A man holds a baby who was rescued from rubble after an airstrike in Aleppo on February 14, 2014.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Hosam Katan/Reuters/Landov
A man holds a baby who was rescued from rubble after an airstrike in Aleppo on February 14, 2014.
A US ship staff member wears personal protective equipment at a naval airbase in Rota, Spain, on April 10, 2014. A former container vessel was fitted out with at least $10 million of gear to let it take on about 560 metric tons of Syria's most dangerous chemical agents and sail them out to sea, officials said.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters/Landov
A US ship staff member wears personal protective equipment at a naval airbase in Rota, Spain, on April 10, 2014. A former container vessel was fitted out with at least $10 million of gear to let it take on about 560 metric tons of Syria's most dangerous chemical agents and sail them out to sea, officials said.
A Free Syrian Army fighter fires a rocket-propelled grenade during heavy clashes in Aleppo on April 27, 2014.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Jalal Al-Mamo/Reuters/Landov
A Free Syrian Army fighter fires a rocket-propelled grenade during heavy clashes in Aleppo on April 27, 2014.
A giant poster of al-Assad is seen in Damascus on May 31, 2014, ahead of the country's presidential elections. He received 88.7% of the vote in the country's first election after the civil war broke out.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Pan Chaoyue/Xinhua/Landov
A giant poster of al-Assad is seen in Damascus on May 31, 2014, ahead of the country's presidential elections. He received 88.7% of the vote in the country's first election after the civil war broke out.
Rebel fighters execute two men on July 25, 2014, in Binnish, Syria. The men were reportedly charged by an Islamic religious court with detonating several car bombs.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Amr Radwan Al-Homsi/AFP/Getty Images
Rebel fighters execute two men on July 25, 2014, in Binnish, Syria. The men were reportedly charged by an Islamic religious court with detonating several car bombs.
Photographs of victims of the Assad regime are displayed as a Syrian army defector known as "Caesar," center, appears in disguise to speak before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington. The July 31, 2014, briefing was called "Assad's Killing Machine Exposed: Implications for U.S. Policy." Caesar, apparently a witness to the regime's brutality, smuggled more than 50,000 photographs depicting the torture and execution of more than 10,000 dissidents. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the photos, documents and testimony referenced in the report.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Andrew Harnik/The Washington Times/Landov
Photographs of victims of the Assad regime are displayed as a Syrian army defector known as "Caesar," center, appears in disguise to speak before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington. The July 31, 2014, briefing was called "Assad's Killing Machine Exposed: Implications for U.S. Policy." Caesar, apparently a witness to the regime's brutality, smuggled more than 50,000 photographs depicting the torture and execution of more than 10,000 dissidents. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the photos, documents and testimony referenced in the report.
Volunteers remove a dead body from under debris after shelling in Aleppo on August 29, 2014. According to the Syrian Civil Defense, barrel bombs are now the greatest killer of civilians in many parts of Syria. The White Helmets are a humanitarian organization that tries to save lives and offer relief.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Abdalrhman Ismail/Reuters/Landov
Volunteers remove a dead body from under debris after shelling in Aleppo on August 29, 2014. According to the Syrian Civil Defense, barrel bombs are now the greatest killer of civilians in many parts of Syria. The White Helmets are a humanitarian organization that tries to save lives and offer relief.
Medics tend to a man's injuries at a field hospital in Douma after airstrikes on September 20, 2014.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Badra Mamet/Reuters/Landov
Medics tend to a man's injuries at a field hospital in Douma after airstrikes on September 20, 2014.
A long-exposure photograph shows a rocket being launched in Aleppo on October 5, 2014.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Rami Zayat/Reuters/Landov
A long-exposure photograph shows a rocket being launched in Aleppo on October 5, 2014.
Rebel fighters dig caves in the mountains for bomb shelters in the northern countryside of Hama on March 9, 2015.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Khalil Ashawi/Reuters/Landov
Rebel fighters dig caves in the mountains for bomb shelters in the northern countryside of Hama on March 9, 2015.
Nusra Front fighters inspect a helicopter belonging to pro-government forces after it crashed in the rebel-held Idlib countryside on March 22, 2015.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Abed Kontar/Reuters/Landov
Nusra Front fighters inspect a helicopter belonging to pro-government forces after it crashed in the rebel-held Idlib countryside on March 22, 2015.
A Syrian child fleeing the war gets lifted over fences to enter Turkish territory illegally near a border crossing at Akcakale, Turkey, on June 14, 2015.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images
A Syrian child fleeing the war gets lifted over fences to enter Turkish territory illegally near a border crossing at Akcakale, Turkey, on June 14, 2015.
A refugee carries mattresses as he re-enters Syria from Turkey on June 22, 2015, after Kurdish People's Protection Units regained control of the area around Tal Abyad, Syria, from ISIS.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Uygar Onder Simsek/AFP/Getty Images
A refugee carries mattresses as he re-enters Syria from Turkey on June 22, 2015, after Kurdish People's Protection Units regained control of the area around Tal Abyad, Syria, from ISIS.
A sandstorm blows over damaged buildings in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of Damascus, on September 7, 2015.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images
A sandstorm blows over damaged buildings in the rebel-held area of Douma, east of Damascus, on September 7, 2015.
Members of a Syrian opposition group attack the headquarters of al-Assad regime forces in the Aleppo villages of Nubul and al-Zahraa on February 12, 2016.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Mustafa Sultan /Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Members of a Syrian opposition group attack the headquarters of al-Assad regime forces in the Aleppo villages of Nubul and al-Zahraa on February 12, 2016.
This still image, taken from a video posted by the Aleppo Media Center, shows a young boy in an ambulance after an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria, on August 17, 2016. It took nearly an hour to dig the boy, identified as Omran Daqneesh, out from the rubble, an activist told CNN. The airstrike destroyed his home, where he lived with his parents and two siblings. Director of the Aleppo Media Center Yousef Saddiq said Omran's 10-year-old brother, Ali, died from his injuries.
Photos: In photos: Syria's civil war
PHOTO: Mahmud Rslan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images