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Russia says EU didn't appropriately react to U.S.-Denmark wiretapping scandal
Updated 10:33, 03-Jun-2021
CGTN

EU members cannot find a way to appropriately react to bombshell reports that intelligence services of the U.S. and Denmark wiretapped European politicians, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page on Wednesday.

"Sweden, Norway, France or Germany couldn't help but notice that the American-Danish duet did something to them that is far from decent. But the offended countries haven't come up with a way how to specifically formulate their complaint yet," she noted.

"While there are no sanctions, embassy shutdowns or appeals with the UN Security Council. Nothing even close to it," the diplomat underlined, referring to the EU countries' "gently demanded" explanations from Copenhagen.

The Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE) has given the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) open internet access to spy on senior politicians of neighboring countries including Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France, Denmark's national broadcaster DR News reported on Sunday.

Already, France and Germany have responded by denouncing the spying as "unacceptable," and demanding "full clarity" from the U.S. side.

Denmark's prime minister on Wednesday said she did not believe Denmark needed to restore its relationships with its allies, including France and Germany.

"I do not think it is correctly put that there is a need to restore relations with France or Germany. We have an ongoing dialogue, and we also have that within intelligence matters," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told local news wire Ritzau.

Read more:

U.S.-EU relationship reset marred by revived spying scandal

Why NSA spying allegations in Europe are so damning

China's Foreign Ministry on Monday also urged the U.S. to give an an explanation on whether what it does is consistent with its intelligence laws and the spirit of its transborder data flow agreement with allies and whether it's a "polluted network" or "clean network."

Washington said on Tuesday it would work with allies and European partners to address any questions on security issues.

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