Hungary has said it will receive a sample of the Russian-made Covid-19 vaccine within a week and a half, making it the first EU member state to announce plans to procure the Kremlin-backed jab.
Speaking from quarantine via video link after getting infected with Covid-19, Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Wednesday evening his country was in “advanced negotiations” to acquire full doses from Moscow. “This is good news for Hungary,” he said.
An acquisition by Budapest and entry into the EU market would represent a symbolic win for Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, which has been criticised by some experts for its rapid pace of approval and limited publicly available information on its efficacy.