Germany became an unlikely champion of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine

Frankfurt am Main, Feb 3 (AFP/APP): Germany has become an unlikely champion of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, offering support and possible production sites in the hopes of speeding up the European Union’s troubled inoculation drive.

The unexpected news that the Russian jab is safe and effective marks a rare political win for President Vladimir Putin, forcing a delicate balancing act in European capitals mulling sanctions against Moscow over the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Leading medical journal The Lancet announced on Tuesday that the Sputnik jab was 91.6 percent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 cases, defying international scepticism.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel promptly declared that “every vaccine is welcome in the European Union” once it has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). She said she had already spoken to Putin last month about how Germany could assist Russia’s vaccine efforts, offering the help of Germany’s Paul Ehrlich Institute with the EMA application process. – Anger growing over vaccine rollout –