Kremlin Confirms Trump Sent Covid Tests to Putin, Denies Post-Presidency Calls

The Kremlin has confirmed that former US President Donald Trump sent Covid-19 testing devices to Russian President Vladimir Putin during the height of the pandemic, as said in a new book by journalist Bob Woodward, Bloomberg reports.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the delivery of the tests on Wednesday but refuted the book’s claim that the two leaders had spoken by phone several times since Trump left office.

“We also sent equipment at the beginning of the pandemic,” Peskov said in a written response to a query regarding the book. “But about the phone calls – it’s not true.”

According to CNN, Woodward’s book, which recounts the Trump presidency, details the sending of Abbott Covid testing machines to Putin by Trump in 2020 when such devices were in short supply.

The Trump campaign has denied the allegations, calling them “made-up stories” and accusing Woodward of bias.

US Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democratic presidential candidate, has sought to capitalize on the book’s reporting, drawing attention to Trump’s relationship with Putin. This relationship has been a target for Democratic candidates.

Trump has consistently touted his relationship with Putin, including his claims that he could broker an end to the conflict in Ukraine if re-elected. He has also criticized President Biden’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, asserting that these events would not have occurred under his presidency.