Trump says US will 'soon know enough' about Russia plague incident as State Dept. sends formal diplomatic letter

US President Donald Trump sent Russia a formal diplomatic letter urging it to disclose more information about a suspected plague pathogen leak, The New York Times and other outlets reported Wednesday (local time).

According to the reports, the Department of State delivered a "demarche" to the Russian government — a formal diplomatic document through which one government conveys an official position, protest, or demand to another.

The Department of State said in a statement Wednesday that it had "formally requested additional information from the Russian government" and was "formally communicating with other countries around the world to share information."

The Wall Street Journal reported that the letter also warned Russia that failing to disclose details of the incident would constitute a violation of its international health obligations.

On Sept. 25, Darya Shipilova, 28, an employee at a plague-control research institute in Irkutsk, Russia, accidentally broke a test tube containing a live pathogen. Her condition worsened two days later, on Sept. 27, and she was hospitalized before dying in a hospital intensive care unit on Friday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials have repeatedly called on Russia to release additional information since the incident.

It remains unclear whether the laboratory worker died from pneumonic plague — a form of the disease that is fatal without prompt treatment — and how far the highly contagious illness may have spread.

Trump also said he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone soon about the matter.

With information still limited, the Trump administration has held off on any new government-level response while closely monitoring how the situation develops.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday on X that while there are "currently no signs of a widespread threat to the United States," the CDC and its partner agencies "are prepared and continue to monitor the situation closely."

The State Department's travel information service posted on its TravelGov X account Wednesday that "the US government has limited ability to assist US citizens in Russia, particularly outside Moscow," adding that the department's Level 4 travel advisory — its highest, urging Americans not to travel to Russia — "remains in effect." The post urged any US citizens currently in Russia to leave immediately.

Speaking with reporters at the White House that day, Trump said he did not believe the plague outbreak in Russia was a biological weapon, adding that the US would "soon know enough."

He went on to say that "from what they tell us, it's under control."

Asked whether Russia's handling of the situation reminded him of China's response in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic during his first term, Trump said, "China didn't say much, and Russia hasn't said much either," but added that "they say they have it pretty well under control."

China faced widespread criticism for not disclosing sufficient information about the early spread of COVID-19 after cases were first reported there in late 2019.

Trump also said a call with Putin was scheduled for that day — which happened to be Putin's 74th birthday.