U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that the United States does not believe that the death of a Russian laboratory worker from suspected plague is caused by biological weapons.

Trump also stated that he plans to call Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the day. Putin will turn 74 years old on Sunday. Trump has previously said that this call will focus on the incident related to the plague.

Trump's aforementioned remarks were made at an event in the Oval Office of the White House. The event was aimed at promoting the "Trump Account" (Trump Accounts) – a new type of deferred tax savings and investment account that has automatically enrolled more than 60 million American children under the age of 18.

Russian media reported earlier this week that in the Irkutsk region of eastern Siberia, nearly 200 people have been placed under medical observation due to suspected exposure to plague. Previously, a female staff member from an anti-plague research institute in Irkutsk fell ill and died.

A journalist asked Trump at a Wednesday event in the Oval Office, "Is the plague in Russia a biological weapon?"

Trump replied, "Well, we don't think so."

“We’ll find out soon enough. But we don’t think so,” Trump said, “and if you listen to what they say, the situation is under control. You know, people have said that about other things in the past too.”

When asked whether he felt the same atmosphere from Russia as during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, Trump admitted, "China didn't say much back then, and Russia isn't saying much now either."

"But they do say that the situation is now under much better control," Trump said.

When asked whether he maintains contact with Putin, Trump said, "I have arranged a call. Today is his birthday."