Trump says call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible plague death in Russia
President Trump announced plans to discuss a mysterious death at a Russian anti-plague research facility with Vladimir Putin. While the WHO considers the risk low, the U.S. is monitoring the situation closely amid upcoming deadlines for Russian sanctions.
Why it matters
The intersection of a potential public health incident and ongoing geopolitical tensions regarding sanctions highlights the complexity of U.S.-Russia relations.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he would be talking with Putin about the case "very soon." Health authorities are investigating after the death of an employee at an anti-plague institute, which authorities attributed to pneumonia with an unknown cause.
Asked what the U.S. intelligence community was saying about the case, Trump said the U.S. is in "very deep discussions" on the topic. "We'll be able to report about it, probably tomorrow," Trump said.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday said the case presents a "very low" risk outside Russia. The United Nations agency said it was in contact with Russian authorities following reports of the death last week of a woman who worked at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East.
Also covering this story
13 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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