The Trump administration "sent us several samples of test kits," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday.
Russia has confirmed that Donald Trump sent the Kremlin sample COVID-19 tests in the early days of the pandemic, after revelations in veteran journalist Bob Woodward's new book raised further questions about the former US president's relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"Please don't tell anybody you sent these to me," Putin said to Trump, according to Woodward. "I don't care," Trump replied. "Fine." The Kremlin's press secretary said: "At that time, the pandemic was starting, and the situation was very difficult for all countries."At that time, we sent a shipment of ventilators to the United States, and the Americans sent us several samples of test kits, as those were practically unique items.Peskov did not confirm whether or not those tests were specifically for Putin's own use, as Woodward writes. "He's a storyteller. A bad one.
The frantic first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a diplomatic opening for Putin; the Trump White House was criticised at the time for purchasing medical supplies from Moscow, a move that was described by experts as a propaganda win for the Kremlin.
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