Posted on 05/05/2020 5:32:58 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The European Union raised over $8 billion for the development and "universal deployment" of a COVID-19 vaccine and other medical treatments during a virtual global summit Monday that the U.S. did not participate in, prompting doubt about the Trump administration's support for those efforts.
Senior administration officials said that the U.S. is supportive of the summit and that the administration has already provided $2.4 billion in total for the coronavirus response, including economic assistance, global health funding and humanitarian aid. But two officials who briefed reporters would not say why the U.S. skipped the summit.
The pledging marathon will continue until the end of May, but the conference finished Monday just shy of its overall target of €7.5 billion, or $8.2 billion. Erna Solberg, prime minister of co-host Norway, pledged $1.3 billion, the EU itself pledged $1.1 billion and Merkel and Macron announced that Germany and France will provide $572.9 million and $545.6 million, respectively.
"Today, the world showed extraordinary unity for the common good. Governments and global health organizations joined forces against coronavirus. With such commitment, we are on track for developing, producing, and deploying a vaccine for all," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU's top official.
Chinese Ambassador to the European Union Zhang Ming, who attended on behalf of China, did not announce any new financial commitments, but touted Chinese investment in domestic research institutions and assistance overseas -- some of which has been rejected for being defective.
"In fighting the virus, confidence and solidarity are much more valuable than gold. Panic and blame game are not useful at all. It is our conviction that together we can rise to the challenge and prevail," Zhang said, a shot at the Trump administration, which has escalated its attacks on the Chinese government in recent days.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Send the bill to China. And tack on another 3 Trillion for pain and suffering.
Summits and conferences are mostly a lot travel and entertainment bills for each country to suffer, and hardly the wisest thing to do during a pandemic. All the countries need to do is work on treatments and vaccines and then share the information.
As if the US isn’t funding its own efforts here.
F**k them.
Good, the idea was we were supposed to pay the most for Gates vaccine.
Trump’s too smart to throw money at an international effort to come up with a vaccination. That money would disappear down rabbit holes faster than a COVID germ passes thru a homemade facemask.
“And tack on another 3 Trillion for pain and suffering.”
Possible alternate plan. Find a vaccine for further use in the US with our technology, then sell it to them to offset our 3 billion already spent on nothing but charity. After all, we became a non-profit organization from our charity over the last 70 years. Break even for a change.
rwood
No need to support that EU effort with money
In America we have now 14 vaccines under development/developed. A company in San Diego developed a vaccine within three days of receipt of the covid genome back in January as noted in reports here on Free Republic.
I don’t think they raised any money. The pledged money. The hope is of course the USA will jump in and actually give money. This is another open-ended rat hole that Trump can see right through. They will always need “more”. Good, let the EU and China pay it.
Has the EU raised anything at all or is this another of those pledging exercises where most of the pledges never materialize?
Exactly. A COMPANY of many companies working on this. Capitalism works faster than any government entity.
I expect there will be several good vaccine candidates shortly. Then watch the shenanigans as regulating agencies decide which to distribute. For sure it won’t be based on “science.’
ISGAS.
I Scarcely Give A .......
“faster than a COVID germ passes thru a homemade facemask.”
LOL, Good one.
That’s because Trump will get China to pay for it.
Where’s the Clinton Foundation when you need them ?
The vaccine industry is. Pure evil. With the facade of do gooders who save the world. don’t trust him as far as you can throw them.
actually, they didn’t raise jackshit; they just PLEDGED a bunch of dough, and since they didn’t manage to sucker Uncle Sam into “pledging”, i wonder how many of those other “pledges” will ACTUALLY provide actual money ...
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