Russia Welcomes Trump's Aid Offer as It Plays Down Suspected Plague Case in Siberia

The Kremlin welcomed President Donald Trump's offer of U.S. assistance regarding a suspected plague case in Siberia, while downplaying the severity of the situation and asserting Russia can handle it independently. Russian officials, including presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, said they had not heard Trump frame the issue as a "major problem" and deferred to Rospotrebnadzor for details. Deputy Mayor Elena Sofyina stated the situation is under control, with no confirmed dangerous diagnosis. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Russia to share more information, noting the U.S. is tracking the case closely. The case involves the death of a 28-year-old lab worker from an anti-plague institute in Shelekhov, initially reported as "pneumonia of an unknown cause." Rospotrebnadzor denied online rumors of strict restrictions, stating tests found only COVID-19 and rhinovirus among contacts, with no accidents at the institute. The CDC confirmed monitoring the situation, noting plague is treatable with antibiotics.