Sir, – Further to "Beacon-type entitlement evident in vaccine race" (Kathy Sheridan, Opinion & Analysis, March 31st), one can understand frustration with seemingly never-ending lockdowns, with the not quick enough pace of vaccination (it is indeed a difficult and complex challenge for the authorities), but why the grudge against Sputnik V? In fact, your columnist's line of thinking resembles that of some EU bureaucrats, who have repeatedly in recent times derided Sputnik V, accusing Russia of some sort of unseemly "vaccine diplomacy". Actually, that is not entirely surprising – in some quarters in Brussels Russophobia has become as contagious as Covid-19. But at the same time it is all the more revealing – it has just not crossed the minds of these people that there might be motives for vaccine sharing other than "game playing", or "creating disruption between EU members" and seeking "propaganda and diplomatic coups".
The fact is that we do not impose our vaccine on anybody and we are not going around door to door pushing Sputnik V. People around the world simply know that it is an excellent vaccine and there is an interest in getting one.
It would be a mistake to believe that the pandemic will be over when the vaccination programme in Ireland or any other country taken alone is completed. We have to be realistic – no one is safe until everybody is safe. I think that this is a prudent and constructive way to handle the issue, assuming that the more vaccines are available, the better. Russia is open to cooperation if there is a mutual interest. – Yours, etc,
YURIY FILATOV,
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Ambassador of
the Russian Federation
to Ireland,
Rathgar,
Dublin 14.