Europe

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that cooperation between allies was more important than at any time in recent history and that relations with NATO and the European Union would be crucial to overcoming challenges.

Speaking on the last day of his three-day visit to Brussels, Blinken continued what many European officials said was a charm offensive to win back the support of allies sidelined during four abrasive years under U.S. President Joe Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States and other Western countries are waging a psychological war on Russia to try to undermine President Vladimir Putin and state institutions, an adviser to Russia’s defence minister said.

The aide, Andrei Ilnitsky, also said in comments widely reported by Russian media that Washington also wanted to alter how Russians think in a “war...for people’s minds”.

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday Britain was on the side of openness and did not want to see restrictions on the exchange of COVID-19 vaccines with the European Union.

The EU tightened its oversight of coronavirus vaccine exports on Wednesday, giving it greater scope to block shipments to countries with higher inoculation rates such as Britain, or which are not sharing doses they produce.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders meet on Thursday to discuss a coordinated path out of the COVID-19 pandemic as infections surge again in many of their countries, seeking agreement on how to ramp up supplies of vaccines after a feeble start to inoculation.

Ahead of the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron spelt out the frustration over vaccine rollouts that are far behind those of Britain and the United States, acknowledging that European leaders had been too timid.

KIEV, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's Armed Forces' air defense brigades performed combat missions on the border with Crimea, the press service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on their official Facebook page on Wednesday.

25 Mar 2021; MEMO: French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday that his country would reopen its embassy in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, next Monday.

"From Monday, our embassy in Tripoli will be reopened and our ambassador will be able to return to your country," conveyed Macron to President of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed Al-Menfi, in Paris.

In 2014, the French diplomatic mission office in Libya closed, although it remained active.

GENEVA (AP) — A team of international and Chinese scientists is poised to report on its joint search for the origins of the coronavirus that sparked a pandemic after it was first detected in China over a year ago — with four theories being considered, and one the clear frontrunner, according to experts.

25 Mar 2021; MEMO: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday warned against "Turkey's interference" in the upcoming French presidential elections in 2022.

In an interview with France 5 television channel, Macron said Turkish attempts to meddle in the upcoming French presidential elections would take the form of "lies" spread by state- run media outlets.

24 Mar 2021; MEMO: Britain's reliance on Moroccan fruit and vegetable has grown rapidly following its withdrawal from the EU at the end of last year, prompting it to establish alternative trading partners.

MOSCOW, March 24. /TASS/: Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev has said that, if the United States created "tough days" in relations with Russia, it would be responsible for that.

"Since they [Americans - TASS] predict that, that means that they are planning that. And if they are planning that, they can implement that, but then they will be responsible for the steps that they would take," he told reporters on Wednesday commenting on remarks by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.