DISINFO: Lithuania will not buy the Russian vaccine due to its anti-Russian position
SUMMARY
Russia is a leader in the production of a vaccine against Covid-19. Nevertheless, Lithuania has no plans to buy the Russian vaccine. It is a political decision. The Baltic States have their role in the anti-Russian game. Because of this, they will prefer the quite expensive American or European vaccine but not the quite cheap Russian one.
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The Sputnik V is a real vaccine. The vaccines from other producers exist only theoretically.
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The US is pushing its partners not to buy the Russian vaccine. It is part of the competition for the market. Americans want to get profit.
RESPONSE
The message is linked to the topic of the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic and is part of a pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign in support of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. It contains different narratives, including a statement about the anti-Russian position of the Baltic states and tries to cast doubt on the vaccines developed by Western companies.
The Sputnik V vaccine is not yet certified in the EU. The statement that only the Russian vaccine "is a real vaccine" is false. Other vaccines are developed reported are from Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford University.
Lithuania will buy the vaccines together with the other EU states. The European Commission has six contracts under the EU's Vaccines Strategy. The centralised EU procedure to purchase the vaccine avoids competition between single member states of the European Union and ensures that all members will receive the required amount of vaccines.
The narrative about the anti-Russian position of the Baltic States is the traditional one. Similar cases can be seen here, here and here.
The topic of Covid-19 is part of agenda-setting of modern Kremlin propaganda. The same disinformation campaign includes statements such as the Russian coronavirus vaccine has dozen of orders unlike the American one, Western vaccines are developed for financial speculation whereas Russian vaccines are to save lives, The West is waging a war over the Covid-19 Sputnik V vaccine, Unlike West, Russia is the only state that has a vaccine against Covid-19.