The U.S. government has warned that Russia could use chemical weapons against Ukraine. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has threatened to use nuclear weapons under certain conditions. Russia’s secret police have used nerve agents to attack political opponents inside and outside Russia. And Russian forces have seized two of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.
Russia is creating the possibility of a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) nightmare. Its aggression against Ukraine makes it clear that American investment in innovative medical countermeasures is long overdue. U.S. policymakers must ensure that this country is as ready as it can be before the worst comes calling.