MOSCOW (Sputnik), Alexander Mosesov – The WikiLeaks whistleblower portal has released classified documents in recent weeks shedding light on NSA wiretaps of 125 phone numbers associated with German government, finance, military and business figures.
In an interview with Sputnik, the lawmaker emphasized the "skeptical position towards the United States" that ordinary Germans espouse in the wake of the NSA scandal.
"The Germans expect the government to act, Germans don’t go to the streets. But the German government is not willing to do it."
In a statement accompanying the latest spy disclosures on Wednesday, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to "stand up for her country properly" and reopen an investigation into the allegations.
Although German officials acknowledged that NSA eavesdropping hampers US-German cooperation, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said it was imperative to preserve relations on a larger scale. The US Department of State also went on damage control earlier this month, maintaining strong cooperation in pressing national security issues.
On top of the recent surveillance leaks, Germany’s BND intelligence agency has also been found spying on European citizens at the request of the NSA.
