NSA Spying On European Officials, Angela Merkel And Emanuel Macron Strongly Protest

JAKARTA - France and Germany regretted the actions of the United States National Security Agency (NSA), which used its capabilities to spy on a number of European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

French President Emanuel Macron said France and Germany were seeking full clarity over a report claiming that a Danish intelligence agency was helping the United States spy on several senior European officials.

Danish media DR said the NSA used a partnership with a Danish foreign intelligence unit to carry out the spying activity.

"If the information is correct, this practice is unacceptable between allies and even less acceptable between European allies and partners," President Macron said in a statement to the press after a virtual Franco-German summit.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said she agreed with President Macron's remarks that wiretapping between allies was unacceptable.

"Nothing has changed in our stance on the clarifications given by her predecessor at the time," Merkel said, referring to the original claims made in 2013.

"We are focused on the current relationship and mutual trust. And what was true at that time still holds true today. I am relieved that the Danish government, the minister of defense, stated very clearly, what he thought about these things and so far I see a good basis, not only to clarify matters, but to actually build a trusting relationship," Angela Merkel added.

In this regard, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE) launched an internal investigation in 2014 into whether the NSA used its partnership with FE, utilizing Danish internet cables, to spy on senior European officials, according to Reuters, along with information received by DR from nine sources.

"The Danish government can and will not comment on speculation in the media regarding our intelligence services," Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen said in a statement sent to CNN.

"The position of the Danish government is clear, the systematic targeting of our close allied partners is unacceptable. Obviously, it is an established principle that the Danish authorities adhere to," he stressed.

Meanwhile, FE declined to comment on the report at all. The NSA also declined to comment.

Separately, the German federal government is in contact with all relevant international and national authorities to reach clarity on the matter, Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said at a government press conference in Berlin yesterday.

To note, DR reports on intelligence gathered through analysis software known as Xkeyscore, which was developed by the NSA. Reuters reports the agency intercepted both phone calls, texts and chat messages to and from the phones of officials in neighboring countries," citing the DR report.