EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to halt exports of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccines if the bloc did not receive its promised deliveries first, escalating a row that has fanned international tensions. "We have the option of banning a planned export.
That's the message to AstraZeneca: you fulfil your contract with Europe first before you start delivering to other countries," Ms Von der Leyen told Germany's Funke media group.
The warning comes as the European Union struggles to speed up its Covid-19 inoculation campaign, just as many member states are facing a third coronavirus wave and renewed curbs on public life.