An EU-led coronavirus fundraiser fell short of its goal. The U.S.'s lack of participation didn't help.

European Union and U.S. flags.
(Image credit: GEORGES GOBET/AFP via Getty Images)

A European Union-led fundraiser for coronavirus vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics failed to meet its 7.5 billion euro goal Monday, and the United States might be one reason why.

The effort was meant to be global, but the U.S. and Russia didn't participate. While their absences undoubtedly contributed to the failure (7.4 billion euros were raised, so the end result wasn't far behind the goal, though Politico notes funds that were already spent or allocated were also counted, raising questions about how much of the pledged money represented new resources), the larger concern may be that some countries will isolate the usage of a potential vaccine for its own citizens first.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.