US President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum on providing COVID-19 assistance to Italy, according to the White House website.

“The Italian Republic (Italy), one of our closest and oldest Allies, is being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has already claimed more than 18,000 lives, brought much of the Italian healthcare system to the brink of collapse, and threatens to push Italy’s economy into a deep recession. The Government of Italy has requested United States assistance. Although the United States Government’s first and foremost responsibility is to the American people, coming to the aid of Italy will help fight the COVID-19 outbreak and mitigate the impact of the crisis (…),” the respective statements reads.