Angela Merkel

Germany Opens Criminal Investigation Into NSA Tapping of Merkel's Phone

| Importance: 7/10

Germany’s chief federal prosecutor Harald Range opened a formal criminal investigation into allegations that the U.S. National Security Agency tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone, marking the first time a major U.S. ally launched criminal proceedings against American intelligence …

Angela Merkel Harald Range NSA Edward Snowden Barack Obama nsa-surveillance international-relations germany diplomatic-consequences
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Putin Formally Signs Treaty Annexing Crimea, Escalating International Conflict

| Importance: 10/10

President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty formally incorporating Crimea into the Russian Federation following a disputed referendum held under Russian military occupation. Putin claimed Crimea was ‘an inseparable part of Russia’, dismissing international condemnation. The annexation was …

Vladimir Putin Sergey Aksyonov Joe Biden Angela Merkel William Hague +2 more territorial-expansion sanctions international-law crimea putin-aggression +1 more
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NSA Monitored Angela Merkel's Phone and 35 Other World Leaders

| Importance: 9/10

The Guardian newspaper reported, citing documents obtained from Edward Snowden, that the National Security Agency monitored the phone conversations of 35 world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The leaked NSA memo, dated October 2006, revealed that senior U.S. government officials …

NSA Angela Merkel Barack Obama Edward Snowden nsa-surveillance edward-snowden international-relations diplomatic-crisis foreign-surveillance
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