Russia and Covid-19 research

Sir, – In reference to The Irish Times editorial "Craving the world's respect" (December 7th), I would like to congratulate the paper on another Skibbereen Eagle moment.

It is really shocking to see such a primitive attempt by The Irish Times, which craves to be respectable, to portray Russia’s efforts to fight Covid-19 as some kind of PR stunt.

Even by the normally low standards of The Irish Times in all issues related to Russia, this is a remarkable achievement.

Yet no amount of rudeness and vulgarity can hide a lack of sound and objective argument.

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The development of the anti-Covid vaccines has been the focus of science for some time now, and the Russian contribution to this important endeavour has been widely recognised by the world’s academic community (see the recent publication in the Lancet journal).

The point of this work is to roll back the disease, full stop. – Yours, etc,

YURIY FILATOV,

Ambassador of the

Russian Federation

to Ireland,

Orwell Road,

Rathgar,

Dublin 14.