EU Is to Start Negotiations on Sputnik V Purchase

The governments of the EU countries are considering the possibility of starting negotiations with the developers of the Russian vaccine against the Sputnik V coronavirus. This reported Reuters, citing political and diplomatic sources in the EU. It is noted that the launch of the process will require requests from four EU countries. Hungary and Slovakia have already started purchasing the Russian vaccine, and the Czech Republic has expressed interest in supplying the drug. Moreover, according to the agency's interlocutor, Italy is exploring the possibility of manufacturing "Sputnik V" at the ReiThera plant, where the country's largest bioreactor for the production of vaccines is located. The publication notes that the inclusion of "Sputnik V" in the EU vaccine portfolio will be a "diplomatic triumph" for Moscow. An unnamed European diplomat told the agency that EU approval of the Russian vaccine could lead to a split within the bloc. According to him, the countries will be divided into those who do not want to give Russia a "propaganda victory", and those who see the vaccine procurement as an opportunity to establish cooperation with Moscow. Sputnik V is the first registered Russian coronavirus vaccine based on adenovirus. The drug is registered in more than 50 countries. Currently, the development of Russian scientists is among the ten best vaccine candidates in the list of the World Health Organization.