EU Looking Into G20 Spying Reports

World leaders wave as they pose for a group picture at the G20 summit in St. Petersburg last month.

The European Union says it is investigating newspaper reports that Russia tried to spy on G20 leaders at the group's summit last month in St. Petersburg, but has yet to find any evidence.

European Commission spokesman Frederic Vincent said on October 30 that experts were looking into gifts such as USB drives given to G20 delegates but that "analysis of software and hardware has not amounted to any serious security concerns."

The spokesman said it was a routine rule for EU diplomats to stay away from any external equipment during foreign travel.

Allegations that Russia tried to spy on G20 delegates first appeared in an Italian newspaper this week.

Russia denied them as an "attempt to divert attention away" from concerns about reports of U.S. spying on world leaders.


Based on reporting by AP, corriere.it, RIA Novosti, and "The Moscow Times"