U.S. President Donald Trump says he does not believe a suspected plague laboratory death in Russia involves a biological weapon. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he adds that the U.S. will “find out soon enough,” while noting Russia’s limited public information about the incident. Trump also says he is preparing to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with several outlets reporting the call is planned for soon.
Multiple reports say the situation draws international concern and scrutiny as questions grow over the available facts. The World Health Organization and other officials urge Russia to provide more transparency, and mention that the risk outside Russia is assessed as “very low.” Some outlets describe WHO attention to reporting about a second suspected case, while U.S. officials say they are working with limited information. Russia, for its part, signals it is open to engagement and warns against “false” information, while maintaining that it is handling the matter under control. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials indicate uncertainty about the scale of the event as investigations continue.
