German Chancellor Angela Merkel accused the United States of an unacceptable breach of trust on Thursday after allegations that the U.S. bugged her personal mobile phone, and she indicated data agreements with Washington may have to be revised.
Arriving for a two-day summit in Brussels overshadowed by the allegations of eavesdropping by the U.S. National Security Agency against Italy, France and Germany, Merkel said she had told President Barack Obama in a telephone conversation late on Wednesday that the acts were unacceptable.
"It's not just about me but about every German citizen. We need to have trust in our allies and partners, and this trust must now be established once again," she told reporters after arriving in a car with '007' in the numberplate.
"I repeat that spying among friends is not at all acceptable against anyone, and that goes for every citizen in Germany."
The stern words were her first public pronouncement after the German government said on Wednesday it had evidence the chancellor's mobile was "monitored" by the NSA. Germany's foreign minister summoned the U.S. ambassador to Berlin to discuss the issue, an event diplomats said was almost unprecedented in the past 60 years.