Covid: Merkel and Macron talk to Putin about using Russian Covid vaccine in EU

German chancellor and French president keen to boost supply of jabs

Angela Merkel talks with Emmanuel Macron (Getty Images)

Two of the EU’s most powerful leaders have discussed possible use of Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine with Vladimir Putin, as the bloc continues to struggles with jab supply.

French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Angela Merkel held a joint video conference with the Russian president on Tuesday to discuss discussed possible “cooperation” over vaccines.

The EU’s vaccine rollout has been criticised for its sluggish pace, with the European Commission seeking to toughen rules on exports in a bid to boost the number of doses available.

In its readout of the call, the Kremlin said the three leaders talked about the possibility of both shipments and joint production of the Sputnik V in EU nations – if it can be registered in the bloc.

Although the European Medicines Agency regulator has not yet approved the Sputnik V jab, it started a rolling review of Sputnik V earlier this month and expected to make a decision in April.

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Russia has been actively marketing Sputnik V abroad, despite a slow pace of its rollout at home, a move some have viewed as a way of boosting geopolitical influence.

The offices of Ms Merkel and Mr Macron said in their readouts of the call that the three leaders discussed opportunities for “cooperation” over vaccines related to the EMA’s evaluation of Sputnik V.

While Ms Merkel’s government has made positive noises about using the Russian jab, France has been more cautious on the idea in recent months.

Last week, the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the Kremlin was trying to use its vaccine as a “propaganda” tool. “In terms of how it is managed, [the Sputnik V vaccine] is more a means of propaganda and aggressive diplomacy than a means of solidarity and health aid,” he told France Info radio.

It come as Germany suspended use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab for the under-60s, after its health authorities identified 31 cases of blood clots. “We have to be able to trust the vaccines,” said Ms Merkel.

It forced Boris Johnson’s government to defend the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab yet again. A UK government spokesperson said the vaccine is “safe, effective and has already saved thousands of lives in this country”.

Meanwhile, Mr Putin also said Russia was open for normalisation of ties between Russia and the EU, which have been strained recently over the poisoning and the jailing of Alexei Navalny.

Mr Navalny, the Russian president’s most outspoken opponent, was arrested in January upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusation.

Mr Macron and Ms Merkel also told Putin to respect Mr Navalny’s rights and preserve his health, the French presidency said in a statement.

The three leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine, Belarus, Libya, Syria and agree to coordinate efforts so that Iran returns to full compliance with its international obligations.