London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Europe should be open to Russia's Sputnik V shot amid 'Pfizer monopoly,' vaccine backer says

Europe should be open to Russia's Sputnik V shot amid 'Pfizer monopoly,' vaccine backer says

Europe should be open to taking up and using Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, according to Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, amid what he described as a “Pfizer monopoly” across the region.


Dmitriev at RDIF, which backed the development of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, told CNBC that the vaccine could be useful to Europe where Covid immunization programs have been slow to progress.

“It’s very important that Europe is open to different vaccines because it’s not good to have a Pfizer monopoly in Europe,” Dmitriev told CNBC’s “Street Signs Europe” on Monday.

“It’s good to have AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and other vaccines so that prices are reasonable and Europe is not subject to a vaccine monopoly that may be in the process of being created.”

Coronavirus vaccines developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, and the vaccine from Pfizer and German pharmaceutical firm BioNTech are currently the predominant shots being used in Europe. However, the former has been subject to investigations by the European Medicines Agency over concerns that it could be linked to a small number of rare but serious blood clotting incidents in post-vaccinated people.

Similar concerns have impacted the Johnson & Johnson shot (soon to be rolled out in the EU) but following investigations, the EMA has deemed the benefits of both shots to outweigh the risks.

There are now anecdotal reports of Europeans refusing the AstraZeneca shot, which is cheaper to produce and buy, and asking instead for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot. CNBC has contacted Pfizer for a response to Dmitriev’s comments.

In the meantime, a dispute has been brewing in the EU over the potential use of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, which was initially the subject of doubts over its clinical data and safety standards and has more recently been seen as a geopolitical tool by Russia which has sold the vaccine to various countries around the world, mainly to its allies.

Interim analysis of phase 3 clinical trials of the shot, involving 20,000 participants and published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet in early February, found that it was 91.6% effective against symptomatic Covid-19 infection. The EMA is currently evaluating the clinical data ahead of a possible authorization of the shot which would pave the way for the vaccine to be used in the EU.

Several countries in Eastern Europe have expressed an interest in, or have bought and deployed doses of the vaccine already, including Hungary, despite the fact that it has not yet been approved by the EMA.

Such purchases have not been without controversy: Slovakia’s drug agency, for example, claimed earlier in April that doses of Sputnik V that it received were not the same as those reviewed by international experts. Russia responded by demanding that Slovakia return hundreds of thousands of doses, citing contract violations, Reuters reported.

RDIF’s CEO said that negotiations over vaccine supplies had taken place with Germany “and several other countries” although he did not name these. France is also known to have had talks with Russia over possible purchases of the vaccine, however.

Dmitriev said he hoped the EMA would have finished its evaluation of the shot by June. “We are very clear that we can provide 50 million doses of the vaccine ... from June to September, to Europe.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
×