European leaders demands answers after US-Danish spying claims

Many European countris have expressed shock over Denmark reported act and demand clarification from EU partner. France warned Monday that alleged US spying on European allies using Danish underwater cables would be "extremely serious" if confirmed, as questions mounted over whether Denmark new what US was doing. "It is extremely serious," France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune told France Info radio. "We need to see if our partners in the EU, the Danes, have committed errors or faults in their cooperation with American services." He added it would also be very disturbing if Washington had been spying on EU leaders. Denmark's neighbours Sweden and Norway have also demanded explanations from Copenhegan. And a German government spokesman said Monday that Berlin was "in contact with all relevant national and international interlocutors to get clarification".

The National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States used a partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials of many countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Danish state broadcaster DR said. The report cited an investigation between 2012 and 2014, and quoted inputs from nine people aware of the development. After the report surfaced, former NSA employee Edward Snowden posted a cryptic tweet in Danish language. "If only there had been some reason to investigate many years ago. Oh why didn't anyone warn us?" he said in the tweet. Snowden fled the United States after leaking secret NSA files in 2013 and was given asylum in Russia.

Biden is well-prepared to answer for this when he soon visits Europe since, of course, he was deeply involved in this scandal the first time around.

There should be an explicit requirement for full public disclosure not only from Denmark, but their senior partner as well. https://t.co/TJL7gr6dy8

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 30, 2021

Denmark, a close ally of the United States, hosts several key landing stations for sub-sea internet cables to and from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Holland and Britain. Danish Defence Minister Trine Bramsen declined to comment on "speculation" about intelligence matters in the media. Denmark said last year it would initiate an investigation into the case based on information from a whistleblower report. That investigation is expected to be concluded later this year.