'From Russia with Love' - President Trump accepts cargo plane of medical supplies from Putin

Russia has been dispatching branded medical supplies to other parts of Europe, though some reports imply that their efforts are next to "useless"

By Sophie Mann

Published: April 1, 2020 9:18am

Updated: April 1, 2020 9:29am

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched a cargo plane with masks and medical equipment to the United States after President Trump accepted an offer of humanitarian aid from Russia.

President Trump said Tuesday that he had spoken earlier in the week with Putin about the coronavirus pandemic, oil prices and the trade relationship between the two nations.

Russia is in the middle of an oil price stand-off with Saudi Arabia that has sent the global price of oil plummeting over the past weeks.

Russia is also in short supply of medical equipment, though reports imply that there are far fewer cases in Russia than in the U.S. The mayor of Moscow last week pleaded with Putin to take the coronavirus outbreak more seriously than the official numbers suggest.

Russia has already dispatched several planes worth of supplies to Italy, in addition to medics. The medics’ military vehicles reportedly read, “From Russia with Love.” However, an article in Italian newspaper La Stampa, reports that 80% of the supplies sent by Russia is useless.

On Thursday, global leaders will convene for a virtual G20 meeting to talk through a coordinated response to the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting will be chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.