President explains why Ukraine doesn't buy Russia-made COVID-19 vaccine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine does not buy the Russian-made vaccine against COVID-19 as no one can guarantee the quality of that vaccine.

Zelensky announced this in an interview for Axios on HBO, as reported by the presidential press service.

"Regarding Russia. I want to talk about the Russian vaccine so that we understand. This is one of the manifestations of the powerful information war that is being waged. The question is not that it says 'Made in Russia,' the question is that no one can guarantee the quality of this vaccine. And they take advantage of the fact that the European vaccine comes to us very late, and therefore offer their own," he said.

"I cannot risk the health of our citizens," he added. "I do not want to say any unpleasant words, because due to my words, the delivery time of vaccines may be even longer, so I will not take risks. But this is an example when the world reminds us that Ukraine must, above all, build itself a strong country that has everything: its own weapons, its own army, its own vaccine, its own money – its own everything."

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Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

• In August 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was the first in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V. Putin also claimed that one of his daughters had been vaccinated with the vaccine.
• Moscow has not provided the international scientific community with any data on vaccine trials confirming that it is safe and effective against COVID-19. Phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine had not been conducted prior to registration. Yet, the Russian side claims the effectiveness of the vaccine is 92%.
• In January 2021, Putin launched a mass vaccination campaign in Russia.