‚Every vaccine is welcome in the European Union,‘ Merkel said in an interview with German broadcaster ARD. ‚Today we have read good data for the Russian vaccine too‘.

Merkel also told ARD she had recently spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the vaccine, which has been found to 91.6 per cent effective in trial results.

A batch of Sputnik V arrived in Hungary today, making it the first country to adopt the once-controversial jab.