Three Republicans said to be considering presidential runs tried to distinguish themselves on Russia’s invasion of the Crimean Peninsula, previewing their approaches to foreign policy in television appearances on Sunday.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who won a presidential straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, promoted a hands-off approach, saying he would warn President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia that his strategy of supporting the secession of Crimea from Ukraine would prove a “disaster†because of the country’s need for uninterrupted oil and gas from Ukraine.
“If they continue to occupy Crimea, if they annex Crimea, Ukraine almost certainly will come completely within the Western orbit,†Mr. Paul said on “Fox News Sunday.†“So it will backfire on them because you’ll be taking Russian-speaking voters that have been voting for Russian-speaking presidents of Ukraine â€" you’ll be taking them out of the population.â€
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who finished second in the conservative straw poll, pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia in an appearance on the ABC program “This Week,†saying he disagreed with Mr. Paul’s approach.
“I think U.S. leadership is critical in the world, and I agree with him that we should be very reluctant to deploy military force abroad, but I think there is a vital role, just as Ronald Reagan did,†he said, adding later, “The United States has a responsibility to defend our values.â€
Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, the party’s 2012 vice presidential nominee who said he would decide next year whether to run in 2016, suggested taking steps to reduce Russia’s control of energy resources, as well as imposing sanctions against those close to Mr. Putin.
“I think you target their ability to travel,†he said on the CBS program “Face the Nation.†“You target their international reserves, you target their holdings overseas that are illicitly gained through this kleptocracy of the Russian economy.â€
