Political scientist on the only foreign vaccine that does not blackmail Putin: the situation is even more dramatic

People don’t want Georgian films or portraits of Putin. They want the vaccine, said F. Kraseninikov, a Russian political scientist and associate expert at the Center for Eastern European Studies, on the ru.delfi.lt “Vaccine on the Map” program. With the ru.delfi.lt discussed the selection and advertising of vaccines against coronavirus infection.

– To what extent has the distribution of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine become a matter of international politics?

– Unfortunately, on a global scale. My parents are elderly. They have been vaccinated with Sputnik and, thank goodness, they are alive and well. The side effects were very mild, there are no side effects. Many of my acquaintances were also vaccinated. I spoke to the doctors, they have no special claims about this vaccine.

All statements are political. Unfortunately, this is precisely the case where politics has eaten up the good and noble work.
If Russia were run by someone other than Putin, at least relatively quiet Dmitry Medvedev, and there wasn’t such crazy geopolitical hysteria, the Russian Federation could quietly sell Sputnik to everyone, and everyone would say, “Oh, how cool, thank you. you, another vaccine, why not? “There would be no fuss. Why not buy a vaccine if it is really effective? It would just be a medical story about another vaccine.

Unfortunately, some countries have weaponized the vaccine. And not just Russia, but also China. By the way, when it comes to China, the situation is even more dramatic. If there is an intense opinion on the Russian vaccine, the Russian propaganda machine is trying to blackmail everyone but the Chinese vaccines, and in response to a major attack on the Russian vaccine, it is questionable, keep in mind that no one is interested in the Chinese vaccine. .

I mean, even though the Chinese vaccine is a direct competitor to Sputnik in third world markets, Russia is silent on Sinovac Biotech. Why? Because you don’t want to get mad at Beijing.

This is a big problem in the modern world: many states, including influential ones, do not want to be angry with the Chinese. After all, what is possible for China, for some reason, is not possible for other countries. Maybe fine. The Chinese can afford to put all Uighurs into concentration camps, the Chinese can afford to destroy democracy in Hong Kong.

What they do with human rights is generally incomprehensible to the mind. The Chinese can allow the emergence of, so to speak, a coronavirus outbreak and the whole world to lie about the extent of the spread, to hide information. And they did not receive a response from such actions.

Then they say, “We have developed a vaccine.” And they begin to export it. What is this vaccine, with whom has it been tested? … Even less is known about her than about Sputnik, but there are also far fewer claims about her, which is very sad.

Why?

For China, the vaccine is as much a part of its image and prestige as it is for Putin. But, unlike Putin, China has many more economic opportunities to promote it. So if someone could choose between the Sputnik or Sinovac Biotech vaccine, they would probably still trust Sputnik. By its indicators, the research results were published in The Lancet magazine. And the Chinese did not tell anyone about their vaccine, they did not show it, and it is not clear what it is.

– However, the Russian ‘Sputnik’ vaccine has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency. And, as far as we know, there is a completely rational basis for that. To do?

– I would wait in this case. First, more recently, the newspaper Bild, although not said to be the most authoritative publication in the Federal Republic of Germany, published an article on allegedly acquired bases of some kind.

Second, all Sputnik’s problems are political. And they were caused by Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. If a person is vaccinated with a Pfizer or Moderna product, they are simply offered a vaccine and Putin offers George’s ribbon and his portrait as a vaccine accessory.

It is far from being liked by everyone. People don’t want Georgian films or portraits of Putin. They want the vaccine. If you create a vaccine in peaceful Russia, show it to everyone and say, “Look, we have a vaccine,” people would say, “Okay, why not, just let it be.”

We see that the AstraZeneca vaccine has problems, there are claims about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It is medicine, everything passes. This problem had to be seen immediately as a medical one. Unfortunately, Putin politicized everything and ruined the whole game for himself.

Frankly, I find it difficult to say what is really going on with Sputnik. On the one hand, there is information that those who want to be vaccinated with it do so, and nothing bad happens to them.

On the other hand, I see that there are claims. What to believe in this situation?

Russia’s position is too politicized, but Russia complains that it is the position of the European institutes that is politicized. Let’s wait and see how it all ends. If, after this story, Europe is still getting doses of Sputnik, then agree, those who said this vaccine is ineffective will find themselves in a rather strange situation.

We live in a time when the situation is changing very rapidly. And you don’t want to be on the side of those who will have to admit tomorrow’s mistake. I am not a doctor, I do not understand any medicine, otherwise I would be an associate expert of any medical organization.

– Then, according to your statements, governments would choose vaccines according to the prevailing political direction, the political value system of a particular country. Do you think that the European Union (EU) is making enough effort to help its neighbors, the Eastern Partnership countries that are associate members of the EU?

– I am a very European person and I support and appreciate the EU very much, I have many friends and close people in different EU Member States. Unfortunately, we have to say that the vaccination situation in Germany and France is not very good.

This shows that the EU is not doing very well in helping partner countries, which is part of the problem. The other part is making things easier in the EU itself. Unfortunately, we see that vaccination rates vary widely across the EU.

Yes, for example, more than 21 percent of people have been vaccinated in Lithuania, from what I understand. population, vaccination rates are much lower in other countries. And it varies a lot. In Germany itself, vaccination is slow, not yet vaccinated for all the elderly. As a result, the Eastern Partnership countries are in a rather difficult situation. After all, it is not easy to help a friend if you are not in a very good position yourself. In this case, nothing can be blamed.

On the other hand, some states have even won in this situation. We know, for example, that Serbia has played very well, having been very successful in vaccinating its population with all the vaccines it receives. Also, not only all Serbian residents, but also newcomers from other countries can get vaccinated. I even know people who came to Serbia as tourists and managed to get vaccinated. Why did this happened?

I know that German newspapers make various accusations on this subject: somehow we are the richest country in the EU and we cannot get vaccinated, but Serbia … Well, since Serbia is friends with Russia, it is also trying to befriend Russia. China and Europe – with everyone … The Eastern Partnership countries are doing what they know, and this situation offers opportunities for both China and Russia.

Because Russia, even to the detriment of its own interests, is not Russia, but Putin – let’s be honest, no one in Russia listens – Putin generously divides the Sputnik parties left and right to achieve his goals and policies. . And because of the desperate situation, many countries agree, because the disease must be overcome in some way.

– What do you think are the prospects, what are the forecasts?

– Oh, someone tell me what the prospects are. Like probably many, I start every morning reading information about vaccines in different countries that interest me for a variety of circumstances: where do I live myself, where do my relatives, relatives, friends live. So far, I have the impression that we will be tortured for a few more months. Here, in the best case, if there are no new terrible varieties that force a resumption of vaccination.

But there is also some optimism. As I understand it, once the number of vaccinated people reaches some threshold, we can all breathe easier.

I think that, at best, life in the EU Member States can start to get back to normal at the end of the summer, but this is a very optimistic scenario.