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Trump's former national security advisor, Michael Flynn, denied reports that he supports the idea of a military-style coup in the US, accusing the media of "twisted reporting" of his comments.

"Let me be VERY CLEAR - There is NO reason whatsoever for any coup in America, and I do not and have not at any time called for any action of that sort," Flynn posted on what is purportedly his Telegram channel on Monday.

The retired US Army lieutenant general, known for his unwavering support for former President Donald Trump, appeared to suggest that remarks he made at a recent conference in Dallas were intentionally misconstrued by the media, as it rushed to seize on the clip.

In the short video filmed over the weekend, and which began making the rounds on Monday, Flynn was asked by a supporter "why what happened in Myanmar can't happen here."

"No reason, I mean," Flynn responded, before adding: "It should happen here."

"No reason, that's right," he said further. As Flynn was responding to the question, he was constantly interrupted by loud cheers from the crowd.

While the footage provoked an angry backlash from the general's liberal critics, who accused him of endorsing a military coup, Flynn said on Telegram that he in fact rejected the notion.

© Michael Flynn/Telegram

The former national security advisor claimed that he said: "There is no reason it (a coup) should happen here (in America)," when responding to the question.

Flynn fired back at the media for what he called "a boldface fabrication based on twisting reporting at a lively panel at a conference of Patriotic Americans who love this country."

Flynn's critics, however, were not convinced by the general's attempt to set the record straight, suggesting he was "attempting to gaslight his way out of this," and that he was "backtracking" from his endorsement of a coup.

Flynn took to Parler to share a similar message in his defense, while his former attorney, Sidney Powell, blasted the reports as "fake news taken out of context and grossly magnified to the point of distortion."

The Greek government has unveiled the first EU Covid passport, described by the country's prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as a "fast lane to facilitate travel", after a successful dry run of the technology.

At a launch in Athens, Mitsotakis, who had led calls for a way to open up Europe in time for the summer tourism season, said the system would be up and running in Greece before a deadline set by Brussels for 1 July.

"This is particularly important for Greece as a tourism country but I think important for every single state because what we want to do is we want to restore freedom of movement. Essentially, it includes all the information that a member state would need to welcome a traveller without imposing additional restrictions: proof of vaccination, a proof of negative test PCR, or antigen or a proof of [past] illness."

The technology was presented followed a successful trial of the interoperability of the Greek passport with systems in Germany and Iceland.

Hospitals, test centres and health authorities, among others, will issue digital or paper certificates providing proof of a negative PCR test result, full vaccination or proof of having had the virus. A QR code on the certificate, which can be stored on a mobile, can be scanned by border guards.

The EU system will tie up with those of other countries, such as the US and the UK, although the British government is yet to provide details of its model. Should the UK government not launch such a passport, fully vaccinated Britons who wish to travel will be issued with the EU's digital or paper certification in their destination country on providing the appropriate paperwork from home.

Every EU citizen or third-country national legally staying or residing in the bloc who holds the so-called "digital green certificate" should be exempted from free movement restrictions. If an EU country continues to require those with a certificate to quarantine or test, it must notify the European Commission and all 26 member states to justify this decision.

Charles Michel, the former prime minister of Belgium who is president of the European Council, said:

"The free movement of people is a great European achievement, and it's why it's so important to demonstrate after this Covid crisis that you are able to guarantee the free movement of citizens."

Greece has moved more quickly than most of the EU's 27 member states by opening to tourists before the Covid passport is in operation. The government is allowing tourists from the UK to visit without any requirements to quarantine if they have proof of a negative PCR test undertaken within 72 hours of arrival or proof of two vaccinations completed at least 14 days before travel.

The European Commission has proposed that EU member states start to ease their border restrictions for Europeans with Covid-19 vaccine certificates. The Commission on Monday declared:

"As the epidemiological situation is improving and vaccination campaigns are speeding up all over the EU, the Commission is proposing that Member States gradually ease travel measures, including most importantly for the holders of the EU Digital COVID Certificate."

It also proposed an "emergency brake" system to border travel should new variants of Covid-19 start to rise, which would quickly reintroduce restrictions "if the epidemiological situation deteriorates rapidly."

The commission advised that those with a "vaccination certificate" - more commonly known as a "vaccine passport" - should be exempt from "travel-related testing or quarantine 14 days after having received the last dose."

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, over 234,000,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the European Union and European Economic Area, with Germany, France, Italy, and Spain receiving the most doses from manufacturers.