Top German security and intelligence officials met with their U.S. counterparts at the White House Wednesday as part of an ongoing quest for answers about U.S. spying, including reports the National Security Agency tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone. Wednesday’s meeting came after European lawmakers held their own talks with U.S. officials. European Parliament member Elmar Brok of Germany spoke in Washington.

Elmar Brok: “The damage for the United States is so high that something has to be done on that. And I hope that it will be successful, because we need messages to our people that without any purpose it cannot be espionage on Merkel or on citizens. It’s not just leaders; it’s citizens, too.”