Boris Johnson took into account army attack on NATO nation
Date
12/6/2023 2:09:57 AM
(MENAFN) A recent report from the Daily Mail has shed light on a controversial incident during Boris Johnson's tenure as the United Kingdom Prime Minister, revealing that Johnson had allegedly sought military advice to develop plans for a raid on a Dutch Covid-19 vaccine plant. The aim was to retrieve 5 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses amidst a heated dispute with the European Union (EU) in March 2021.
The reported confrontation emerged following tensions between the United Kingdom and the European Union when Brussels threatened to block the export of vaccine doses from the Dutch plant to the United Kingdom. At the heart of the dispute was AstraZeneca's production issues, leading the pharmaceutical company to deliver only a quarter of the planned vaccine stock to the European Union while refusing to redirect supplies from its United Kingdom-based factories.
Faced with the prospect of vaccine shortages in the United Kingdom and escalating tensions with the European Union, Johnson was said to be "enraged" by the situation. The diplomatic source cited by the Daily Mail claims that, in response to the threat from Brussels, Johnson instructed military advisers to explore plans for forcibly retrieving the AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the plant in Leiden.
The report indicates that Johnson's frustration stemmed from his commitment to vaccinating priority groups in the United Kingdom by mid-April 2021. With the European Union aiming to secure what it deemed a "fair share" of vaccine doses, the situation escalated into a potential military intervention, with Johnson reportedly considering the physical retrieval of vaccines from the Netherlands.
While the alleged plan was not executed, the revelation raises questions about the complexities of vaccine diplomacy and the extreme measures contemplated during the global race for Covid-19 vaccinations. The incident highlights the intense pressure faced by world leaders to secure vaccine supplies for their populations and the intricate geopolitical challenges entwined with the distribution of essential medical resources during a global health crisis.
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