President Barack Obama says all nations in the world with intelligence services try to understand what other nations are thinking. He says that's why they have intelligence services.
Obama is pushing back against opposition from key allies who are upset about revelations regarding secret US programmes that reportedly installed covert listening devices in European Union offices.
Obama says the US is still evaluating new reports in German news weekly Der Spiegel about the programme. He says the US will provide all the information European allies are requesting.
Obama also says there have been high-level discussions between the US and Russia about NSA leaker Edward Snowden's extradition. But he won't confirm reports that law enforcement agencies in both countries have been ordered to find a solution regarding Snowden.
