Trump says he has call scheduled with Putin to discuss possible case of pneumonic plague in Russia

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will be speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future regarding a potential case of pneumonic plague at a Siberian research facility. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump indicated that the call was imminent. Health officials are currently investigating the death of an employee at the institute, which they have linked to pneumonia of an unknown origin.

When asked about US intelligence assessments, Trump stated that the intelligence community is engaged in "very deep discussions" about the matter. "We'll be able to report about it, probably tomorrow," Trump added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday that the case poses a "very low" risk outside of Russia. The United Nations agency is in contact with Russian authorities following the death of a woman last week at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute in Siberia. On Monday, Trump expressed willingness to assist Russia in managing the situation, stating that the disease is "rough" and that microbes have become stronger and more resilient.

The call between Trump and Putin comes as the US faces an Oct. 18 deadline to determine which Russian entities, if any, will be sanctioned under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which Trump signed into law on Sept. 18. Ukraine has provided the administration and Congress with a list of Russian companies, vessels, and individuals it wishes to see targeted with US sanctions under the legislation.

Russian officials have claimed that the situation is under control following reports of the plague, but the incident has sparked controversy and skepticism.