"We're not imposing anything on anyone," Putin said of the remarks by EU's Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.
"This raises a question: Whose interests are these people defending and representing? The interests of some pharmaceutical companies or those of the citizens of European countries?"
In his rcomments, which were made to French broadcaster TF1, Breton said the Russians were "having a hard time" making the vaccine, adding "we will probably have to help them".
Financial Times: Sputnik vaccine developers hit out at EU commissioner over ‘bias’. Read the full text of the story here.
— Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) March 22, 2021
👇https://t.co/RV9pyI0iFB
The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which has backed the development of Sputnik V, accused Breton of being "clearly biased" against the vaccine because it was Russian.
Putin said he would be getting the jab himself on Tuesday.
"Despite the deliberate discrediting of our vaccine, more and more countries are showing interest in it," the 68-year-old said during a Covid vaccination meeting that was broadcast on Russian television.
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Sputnik V is being reviewed by the European Medicines Agency, which is sending representatives to Russia next month.
EU members have been told not to approve the Russian state-sponsored vaccine while it is still under review.
Russia registered Sputnik V in August, with many experts expressing concern over the speed of its development.
However reviews have been largely positive, with results published in The Lancet medical journal showing it was safe and more than 90 percent effective.
