EU Commission should start talks to buy Sputnik V vaccine, Germany says

The European Commission should hold preparatory talks with member states for possible procurement of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, a German government source said on Wednesday.

“Such negotiations have not started yet,” the source said, saying Germany would welcome starting talks soon.

Meanwhile, a French official said on Wednesday the European Union shouldn’t be the “useful idiot” of the global vaccine battle by exporting vaccines while other countries ban exports.

“Europe shouldn’t be a sort of useful idiot in the battle against the virus,” the official at the French presidency told reporters.

France will support an updated EU mechanism on vaccine exports that would introduce an element of reciprocity on vaccine exports, the official said.

Main Photo: (FILE) A box of vials of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus – disease (COVID-19. EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI