President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon" as his administration closely tracks reports of a suspected pneumonic plague death in Siberia that have prompted a U.S. health alert and heightened health precautions across several countries bordering Russia. Trump revealed the planned call while taking questions from reporters Tuesday. Asked whether he had spoken with Putin about the situation, Trump said he already had a call scheduled.
"I have a call scheduled, yup," Trump said. TRUMP RESPONDS TO CONCERNS OVER SUSPECTED PLAGUE CASE IN RUSSIA, SAYING US 'WILLING TO HELP' Asked when the call would take place, the president responded, "Very soon." Trump said the administration was in "very deep discussions" when asked what U.S. intelligence agencies were saying about the reports. The president's comments came as the U.S.
Embassy in Moscow issued a health alert Tuesday saying it was aware of press reports from Russia's Irkutsk region of "suspected pneumonic plague resulting in the death of an individual," along with associated quarantine measures and hospital closures. "We continue to track the situation closely," the embassy said. NEW YORK DECLARES MEASLES DISASTER EMERGENCY AS CASES SURGE IN PENNSYLVANIA A State Department spokesman told Fox News Digital that the department, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other interagency partners, is "closely monitoring the fatal case of suspected pneumonic plague" in Russia's Irkutsk Oblast.
"The Trump Administration has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans," the spokesman said. The spokesman cautioned that "many details remain unconfirmed" and called on Moscow to provide greater clarity. "We encourage Russian authorities to share accurate information quickly and openly," the spokesman said.
The alert advised Americans in the area to follow local health guidance, avoid affected medical facilities and seek prompt medical care if they develop fever or respiratory symptoms. Those who have traveled to an area experiencing an outbreak were advised to monitor their health for 14 days. The State Department's existing Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory for Russia remains unchanged.
The embassy reiterated that Americans currently in Russia should depart and warned that the U.S. government's ability to assist citizens there is limited, particularly outside Moscow. UKRAINE STRIKES DEEP INTO RUSSIA’S ARCTIC GAS HEARTLAND AS TRUMP PUSHES PUTIN TOWARD PEACE Several countries bordering Russia are also implementing new health precautions in response to the reports. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are moving to implement what their governments have described as "enhanced health and sanitary measures" in response to reports of pneumonic plague in Siberia.
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