Zakharova: US deals blow to international cooperation in healthcare

MOSCOW-  Washington dealt a blow to the international framework for cooperation in healthcare at the moment when the world needed to join forces, Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS on Friday.

The comment was made following US President Donald Trump’s decision to terminate his country’s ties with the World Health Organization (WHO).

“At the time when the world needs to consolidate efforts in fighting the pandemic, Washington deals a blow to the international legal foundation for cooperation in healthcare,” Zakharova said.

“What can the United States offer to the world in return? The sad picture in the US public health system, exposed by the pandemic, does not leave Washington a single chance to claim its leadership in this sphere,” she added.

 US President Donald Trump said on Friday his country was terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization “because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms.” The US funding of about $450 million will be redirected for other goals.

On May 18, Trump tweeted a message he had dispatched to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. As follows from the letter, Trump set a 30-day deadline for providing guarantees the WHO would be reformed. Otherwise Washington would ultimately stop financing the organization and reconsider its membership.

Source: Itar Tass