October 11th 2024.
According to recent reports, it has been confirmed that former US President Donald Trump sent COVID-19 test samples to the Kremlin during the early stages of the pandemic. This revelation comes after veteran journalist Bob Woodward's latest book raised concerns about the relationship between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
In response to Woodward's claims, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed the media on Thursday, stating that the Trump administration had indeed sent several test kits to Russia. This statement supports Woodward's assertions and contradicts Trump's denial of the claims in an interview with ABC News, where he called them "false."
In his book "War," Woodward writes about a secret exchange between Trump and Putin, where the former reportedly sent the latter a number of Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines for his personal use. Putin allegedly requested for this exchange to remain confidential, to which Trump replied nonchalantly, "I don't care. Fine." However, Peskov did not confirm if these tests were specifically meant for Putin's personal use.
Addressing the situation, Peskov explained that during the initial stages of the pandemic, many countries, including the US and Russia, were struggling to obtain essential medical supplies. As a result, they resorted to exchanging aid shipments with each other. In fact, Peskov mentioned that the US had also sent a shipment of ventilators to Russia during this time.
This statement from the Kremlin seemingly contradicts Trump's previous remarks, where he called Woodward a "bad storyteller" and denied giving him any access for his book. Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, also stated that none of the stories in the book were true. However, Woodward also reported that there were several calls between Trump and Putin since the former left the White House in 2021. Peskov denied these claims, saying that it did not happen, a sentiment that was also echoed by Trump himself.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for Putin to expand his diplomatic relations, and the Trump administration's decision to purchase medical supplies from Russia was seen as a propaganda win for the Kremlin. Additionally, the US government also spent a significant amount of money sending ventilators to various countries, including Russia, despite not having a proper system in place to keep track of them.
These recent revelations have once again sparked scrutiny on Trump's relationship with Putin, just weeks before the US presidential election. In fact, Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her concerns in an interview, questioning why Trump would send essential medical supplies to a "murderous dictator" for his personal use, while people in the US were struggling to obtain them.
Despite all the criticism, Trump continues to speak highly of his relationship with Putin and other authoritarian leaders. In a recent interview, he mentioned that he got along well with Putin and hopes to do the same in the future. He also stated that having a good relationship with strongmen leaders is a positive thing.
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