Moments after calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘good friend’ and underlining the close partnership between the two countries, US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will donate ventilators to India.
‘I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India,’ Trump tweeted on Friday, May 15.
I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and @narendramodi during this pandemic. We’re also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 15, 2020
The White House has not yet specified how many breathing devices would be sent.
Before boarding Marine One on his way to Camp David, Trump told reporters: ‘We are sending a lot of ventilators to India. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. We are sending quite a few ventilators to India. We have a tremendous supply of ventilators.’
The President is going to spend his weekend at Camp David for several meetings.
Last month, India allowed the export of 50 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat COVID-19 patients in America, at Trump’s request.
Earlier in the day, Trump praised India and Prime Minister Modi. ‘India has been so great and as you know your prime minister has been a very good friend of mine. I just got back a short while ago from India and we are very much together,’ the president said, referring to his visit to New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Agra in February.
During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, ‘The president just extolled our great relationship with India. India has been a great partner to us for quite some time. I am encouraged to hear ventilators to India.’
She clarified that India was among many other countries that would get the ventilators, reported Deccan Herald.
Trump on Friday said the US and India are cooperating to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. ‘Together we will beat the invisible enemy! We stand with India and Prime Minister Modi during this pandemic,’ Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House.
Also Read: Trump Withdraws Funding To WHO Citing Its Poor Handling Of Coronavirus Pandemic
