MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2020) Russia sees US accusations against the World Health Organization (WHO) as an attempt of Washington to shift responsibility for the epidemiological situation in the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, adding that such attempts were causing concerns.
Last week, US President Donald Trump had criticized the WHO for the insufficient, in his opinion, response to the coronavirus pandemic, and accused it of bias toward China, threatening to stop or revise the organization's funding.
"In light of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus infection in the world, attempts of some states to shift responsibility to others for the worsening epidemiological situation within their borders are worrying. We believe that this is how the recent high-profile accusations by the US leadership against the World Health Organization should be assessed," the ministry wrote on Facebook.
It added that Russia considered such a position nonconstructive and such statements untimely and counterproductive.
"They are particularly perplexed in light of the final statement of the G20 online summit with US participation, as well as the UN General Assembly consensus resolution on global solidarity in the fight against coronavirus, which recognizes WHO's central coordinating role in countering the spread of COVID-19," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"We consider it extremely important to avoid politicizing the situation around the pandemic, which is a global challenge to the entire international community and require coordinated actions by all states," the statement read.
It added that at all stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, WHO acted within its mandate, in strict accordance with the guidelines of member states and based on available scientific data.
