US President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States would help Russia after a laboratory worker died at a plague research institute in Siberia. Trump made the remarks to reporters at the White House.
Speaking as he departed for a trip to Nebraska, Trump described the reported outbreak as a “big problem for Russia.”
The laboratory employee became ill and later died under circumstances that have not been disclosed. Russian authorities responded by placing dozens of people under quarantine.
The death has fueled public health concerns on social media. Russian officials, however, said Monday that the situation remained under control.
“Well, I hate to see them having it,” Trump told reporters. “It’s a rough disease.”
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Trump said the United States would do whatever it could to assist Russia.
Trump has said he views Russian President Vladimir Putin as someone he can work with, despite ongoing tensions over Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“We’ll help,” Trump said. “Anybody that has that kind of a problem, we’re always willing to help.”