RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin offered Tuesday to provide United Nations staff in New York the Sputnik-V vaccine in a speech to this year’s General Assembly marking the body’s 75th birthday.

“Any one of us could face this dangerous virus. The virus has not spared the staff of the United Nations, its headquarters and regional entities,” Putin said in a prerecorded speech from Moscow.

“Russia is ready to offer U.N. workers the necessary, qualified help, and in particular we propose to supply our vaccine for free to employees of the organization and its subsidiaries who volunteer for vaccination,” said Putin, who announced the vaccine to broad fanfare last month and said his own daughter is among those who have taken it.

He described Tuesday’s offer as a response to popular demand: “Some colleagues from the U.N. have asked about this, and we will not remain indifferent to them.”

On Monday, Russian media reported that the WHO’s regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, praised the vaccine after a meeting with Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko in Moscow.

(SD-Agencies)