Why Russia Is Exporting So Much Vaccine

<p>In recent years, Russia has tried to reassert its global influence in many ways, from military action in Ukraine to meddling in U.S. elections.</p><p>So when Russia developed a coronavirus vaccine, it prioritized exporting it to dozens of other countries — at the expense of its own people.</p><p>Today, we look at how Russia has put vaccine diplomacy to work. </p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/andrew-e-kramer?smid=pc-thedaily">Andrew E. Kramer</a>, a reporter based in the Moscow bureau of The New York Times. </p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/signup/NTTD?smid=pc-thedaily">Sign up here</a> to get The Daily in your inbox each morning. And for an exclusive look at how the biggest stories on our show come together, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/the-daily?module=inline">subscribe to our newsletter</a>. </p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li>The Kremlin has<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/19/world/europe/russia-coronavirus-vaccine-soft-power.html?searchResultPosition=13?smid=pc-thedaily"> scored propaganda points and bolstered several longstanding foreign policy goals</a> by offering its Sputnik V vaccine around the world. But production capacity is limited.</li><li>A microstate surrounded by Italy, San Marino feared being left behind in Europe’s inoculation campaign. Now it has jumped ahead, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/world/europe/italy-san-marino-sputnik-vaccine.html?smid=pc-thedaily">with the Sputnik vaccine</a>.</li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>