Trump says US will 'help' Russia deal with plague
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U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 5 said that Washington will help Russia manage its plague scare as the country faces reported quarantines.
When asked by reporters about the plague in Russia, Trump confirmed he's aware of the situation and said that the U.S. will "help them."
"I hate to see them having it; it's a rough disease," he added. "We'll help anybody that has that kind of problem, were willing to help."
On Oct. 4, Russian officials and media reported that an aluminum factory and multiple hospitals in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast have instituted preventative safety measures, including quarantines and mask mandates, following a laboratory worker's recent death by the plague.
Darya Shipilova, a lab technician at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Shelekhov, is alleged to have accidentally broken a test tube containing the pathogen that causes pneumonic plague while collecting samples a week earlier. She died after reportedly contracting the disease on Oct. 2.
Trump's remarks come as Russia continues deadly strikes on Ukrainian cities and as Ukraine alongside its allies continue to call for stronger sanctions.
The U.S. leader on Sept. 29 faced bipartisan pushback over possible Russia sanctions relief amid reports that his administration is considering the move in exchange for the release of political prisoners.
