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US committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Russia, ambassador says

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a contract with the US for the supply of ventilator parts
US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan Mikhail Metzel/TASS
US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan
© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. Washington appreciates Moscow’s help in the fight against the coronavirus and is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Russia in the future, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said in an interview with TASS and other Russian media outlets.

When commenting on a shipment of medical supplies that Russia had send to the US to help fight the coronavirus in New York, he noted that it "was the result of a conversation between our two presidents, President Trump and President Putin."

"President Trump has made it clear that the United States is committed to the global fight against COVID-19. We are a generous and reliable contributor to crisis response and humanitarian action across the world but we can’t do it alone," Sullivan said. "President Trump appreciated very much the offer from President Putin to provide the much needed supplies that were sent to New York," the US ambassador pointed out.

"Both countries have provided humanitarian assistance to each other in times of crisis in the past and have committed to do so again in the future in response to this COVID-19 situation, this pandemic," Sullivan added.

US Department of State Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement earlier that "as a follow-up to the March 30 phone call between President Trump and President Putin, the United States has agreed to purchase needed medical supplies, including ventilators and personal protection equipment, from Russia, which were handed over to FEMA [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] on April 1 in New York City."

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a contract with the US for the supply of ventilator parts.