The special virtual issue is intended to help policymakers, policy shapers, and journalists understand issues that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought to the forefront of policy debates.

Kosal’s introduction addresses theories on conflict and evolutionary behavior, the role of information — as well as misinformation and disinformation — and the context of Russia’s allegations of biological weapons laboratories in the Ukraine. The 10 ungated articles range from a 1996 piece on Soviet biological weapons to a 2021 article on how infectious disease outbreaks might affect a country’s decision to invade one of its neighbors. It also features research by Peter Brecke, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, and William Long, former chair of the School, on how human behavioral causes can better explain observed patterns in international conflicts and strategic rivalries.

Read the full issue at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-the-life-sciences/virtual-issues/politics-and-the-life-sciences-virtual-issue-4.