Russia would accept a “kind offer” by U.S. President Donald Trump to ship ventilators to the country if it felt it needed them to treat people sick with the novel coronavirus, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

Russia, which has so far recorded 27,938 cases and 232 coronavirus-related deaths, shipped ventilators and protective gear this month to the U.S. after a phone call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told newsmen on a conference call that Trump told Putin in a recent phone call that the U.S. could reciprocate as it begins to produce more ventilators.

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“If necessary Russia would, of course, take advantage of this kind offer,” Peskov said.

He did not say whether Moscow would pay for the potential ventilator shipments from the U.S. nor whether Russia needed them.

The Kremlin initially described Russia’s shipment of ventilators and medical equipment to the U.S. as humanitarian aid, while the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow had paid for half of it.

[Reuters/NAN]

Vanguard News Nigeria.