Russia’s Vaccine Diplomacy in Central Europe

Abstract

Drawing on the concept of vaccine diplomacy, the article analyses Russia’se!orts to promote its Sputnik V vaccine and the repercussions this had intwo Central European EU member states which authorized the use of theRussian vaccine. The authors argue that for Russia, Sputnik V promotionwas significant both as a business project and as a political enterprise, as itwas supposed to enhance Russia’s international status and help it inovercoming its post-Crimea isolation from the West. The results weremixed, however, as Russia’s international credibility had been underminedby its previous policies. Thus, in Hungary the vaccine managed to gainsome traction thanks to a government that preferred importing non-EUcertified vaccines as part of its larger policy of fostering closer ties with theauthoritarian great powers in Eurasia. In Slovakia, the vaccine deal withRussia caused a political crisis but eventually resulted in a very poorperformance of Sputnik V as compared to EU-certified vaccines.