Amid reports that President Vladimir Putin asked President Donald Trump for help, the U.S. will send 200 ventilators to Russia—a nation beleaguered by ventilator fires and old, worn-out equipment.
The U.S. will start to deliver the ventilators to Russia this week as the country experiences “a true public health crisis due to the Covid-19 outbreak,” the State Department told CNBC Tuesday. Russia’s coronavirus cases neared 300,000 on Wednesday, cementing its position as the country with the second-highest number of confirmed virus cases after the U.S., which has over 1.5 million cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
“In response to President Putin’s request for assistance, President Trump offered to donate and deliver 200 ventilators to the Russian people. The first 50 ventilators are being produced by the manufacturer in the United States, and are expected to be ready for shipment May 20,” the spokesperson said.
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