When Americans woke up to the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Cold War worries about Russia’s nuclear arsenal were suddenly back at the forefront of many people’s minds.

Gary Samore, professor of the practice of politics, and director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University has a unique perspective on the rapidly-developing events.

Samore served in the US government for more than 20 years, focusing on nuclear arms control and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, especially in the Middle East and Asia. In that capacity, he served both President Clinton and President Obama as the senior official in the National Security Council responsible for nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Here, Samore discusses the prospects of a nuclear confrontation and the next steps for the Biden administration: