NSA-Linked Spying Scandal Softens US Stance on Russia Ahead of G7 Summit, German Lawmaker Says

BERLIN (Sputnik) – Europe sees signs of a US-Russian de-escalation ahead of the G7 summit, which may be attributed to the recently resurfaced scandal involving the US National Security Agency (NSA) spying on allies with the help of Denmark, Anton Friesen, a member of the German Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, has told Sputnik.

The leaders of the G7 nations will meet at the group’s 47th summit in the British region of Cornwall from Friday to Sunday. The event will be followed by a NATO get-together and a Russia-US summit, during which Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden are expected to discuss the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Ukraine, and arms control, among other issues.

This past Sunday, the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that the NSA, with the help of Denmark, spied on a number of European politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2012 to 2014. On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the scandal had not affected Denmark’s credibility, stressing that Copenhagen is a valuable ally that has made a significant contribution to the alliance.

The AfD lawmaker added that Germany and the EU are “interested in [potential] agreements between Biden and Putin”, primarily in security and disarmament issues, since “they [the EU] are geopolitically located in a region where any confrontation between the US and Russia will have the most negative consequences”.

In an effort to demonstrate goodwill to its European allies, Washington has also toned down its rhetoric with China, according to Friesen.

Sourse: sputniknews.com