Ursula von der Leyen Demands Reciprocity in Vaccine Shipments
The European Union has warned it may stop exporting Covid-19 vaccines to the UK unless Britain starts sharing its vaccine supplies, a move that would significantly impact the UK’s vaccination progress. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the threat, emphasizing that the EU expects “reciprocity and proportionality” in vaccine exports.
The warning comes amid a vaccine shortage in the UK, with NHS England announcing that people under 50 will experience a delay of about a month in receiving their vaccinations. This shortage is expected to hit the UK by the end of March.
Von der Leyen’s comments have sparked a strong reaction from the UK, with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accusing the EU of using “brinkmanship” similar to that of less democratic nations. The EU president insisted that the bloc needed to secure its fair share of vaccines, suggesting that the EU would not hesitate to use whatever measures necessary to achieve this.
