The makers of the Russian coronavirus vaccine have accused a top EU executive of being “biased” after he said the European Union had no need for the Sputnik V, AFP reported.

EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said: “We have absolutely no need for Sputnik V.” He also said that “the Russians are having a hard time making it and we will probably have to help them.

“If we need to provide them with one or two factories to manufacture it why not, but for the moment Europeans are a priority,” he added.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which has backed the development of Sputnik, accused Breton of being “clearly biased” against the jab because it was Russian.