A U.S. donation of coronavirus tests and ventilators is on its way to Russia, which ranks second in the world behind the United States for its number of infections, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump had offered to send “some testing equipment, as well as ventilators” in a May 8 phone call with President Vladimir Putin, Pompeo said. Trump said at the time that Putin, who sent the U.S. a shipment of protective gear and ventilators that have since raised safety concerns, had accepted his offer.
“They’ve really struggled. Moscow, in particular, continues to struggle with the virus,” Pompeo told the Washington Examiner in Sunday’s interview.
The Russian capital, with more than 146,000 cases of Covid-19, accounts for nearly half of the nationwide total.
“That equipment is on its way,” Pompeo said, referring to Trump’s offer.
The U.S. plans to send 200 California-manufactured ventilators to Moscow over the next week, the state-funded Voice of America (VoA) outlet reported Sunday.
Citing government communications, VoA reported that the first 50 will be shipped to the Russian capital’s surgical center this Wednesday and the remaining 150 on May 26.
The U.S. will reportedly shoulder 100% of the costs, including expenses for delivery via a military aircraft and components, totaling $4.7 million.
Last week, Russia suspended its use of the type of ventilators it had delivered to the U.S. on April 1 following two deadly hospital fires blamed on the machines. U.S. emergency officials said they had not used the Russian ventilators and the two states that received the ventilators returned them “out of an abundance of caution.”
The U.S. and Russia have the world’s highest numbers of coronavirus cases at, respectively, 1.5 million and more than 290,000.
The head of Russia’s health watchdog on Sunday said the country has “stabilized” its outbreak with fewer than 10,000 new cases reported for the past four days.
(c) The Moscow Times
“They’ve really struggled. Moscow, in particular, continues to struggle with the virus,” Pompeo told the Washington Examiner in Sunday’s interview.
Yeah, and I suppose no other country has struggled either? This is disgusting by Trump, why not send aid to a country that needs it, like Ukraine?
Outrageous. The victims of this evil regime should be front of the queue. Trump really is an insensitive arsehole with a fixation on the tiny poisoner.
Soon, thousands of normal Russians will be reminded of what they already know, that American equipment is far better than Moskali. And they will be reminded of the shithole Putin has made over the last 20 years. This is more psyops than anything.
I doubt it. Remember the propaganda on RT when Muscovy sent their junk to the US. Guess what? No mention of this US aid anywhere on the Kremlin media.
True, but the doctors and nurses will surely breathe a sigh of relief when they see Made in the USA on the equipment.
Unless the US sent back the crap Russia sent them, and they see Made In Muscovy on the equipment. LMAO
Good point! I hope they do send it back at the same time, with a note saying “We don’t need any hospitals fires, but thanks anyway.”
Or send them equipment that only runs on 110 volts. LMAO
Hahaha, knowing the Moskali, we will probably have to send them the circuit breakers too.
[…] also touted the state’s supply of ventilators and personal protective gear, along with the growing force of workers throughout the state charged […]