Trump Says U.S. Does Not View Russian Plague Incident as Bioweapon

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the United States does not believe the death of a Russian laboratory worker from a suspected plague infection involved a biological weapon, while adding that officials were still seeking answers.

“We don’t think so,” Trump told reporters when asked whether a bioweapon was involved. “We’re going to find out soon enough.” He said Russia had described the situation as under control but acknowledged that Moscow was sharing limited information. Trump also said he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Wednesday.

The case involves a 28-year-old employee of the Anti-Plague Institute of Siberia and the Far East in Russia’s Irkutsk region. Russia’s public health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said she died from pneumonia of undetermined origin and has not confirmed reports that pneumonic plague caused her death. Russian media reported that nearly 200 people were placed under medical observation, while officials said the worker’s contacts had tested negative.

Reports of a possible second illness also emerged Wednesday, though Russian authorities warned against what they called false information. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had reported the death to the World Health Organization under standard procedures.

The United States has formally requested additional information from Moscow. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have called for greater transparency to clarify conflicting accounts and assess any public-health risk. Russian officials have said they are investigating the cause of death and have denied that a plague outbreak is under way.