( CNN ) -- U.S. leaker Edward Snowden did not violate the terms of his asylum in Russia when claims surfaced that a National Security Agency surveillance operation targeted German Chancellor Angela Merkel 's cell phone , a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin told Russian daily newspaper Kommersant . Snowden , a former NSA contractor , was granted asylum in Russia under the condition that he stops harming the United States . But Putin 's spokesman , Dmitry Peskov , is cited by Kommersant in a report published Saturday as saying that the reports published in the German press were not distributed from Russia . Allegations that the NSA monitored Merkel 's cell phone sparked outrage among German leaders . Germany sent a delegation to the White House this week for talks on the matter . European Union lawmakers also visited Washington this week , where they met with National Security Council staffers . Top senator : Obama did n't know of U.S. spying on Germany 's leader . Snowden was granted a year 's asylum by Russia in August , after arriving there from Hong Kong in June . Snowden told The New York Times in an interview published last month that he gave all of the classified documents he had obtained to journalists he met in Hong Kong , before flying to Moscow , and did not keep any copies for himself . Lawmaker : Snowden wants to testify in Washington . The United States has charged Snowden with espionage and theft of government property . But a German lawmaker who met with Snowden in Moscow on Thursday said that Snowden did not see himself as an `` enemy of America '' and that he wants to testify in Washington . Revelations of U.S. spying involving allied leaders and citizens have sparked calls for the United States to roll back its surveillance programs and triggered threats of repercussions . On Wednesday , French Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said authorities there have demanded an explanation from the United States about surveillance activities . In Spain , Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the nation 's intelligence chief will brief lawmakers about what Spain knows about U.S. activities in a closed-door session in Madrid . Opinion : Germany 's Stasi past looms over NSA spying furor . Last week , the European Parliament passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the end to a treaty with the United States allowing for the exchange of some banking data meant to help track terrorist financing . Without providing details , the European Union delegation described its talks as an opportunity to explore `` possible legal remedies for EU citizens '' affected by U.S. surveillance . Snowden gets website job in Russia . CNN 's Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report .
His asylum stands despite claims that the NSA is in Germany , newspaper reports . An aide is cited as saying stories in the German press were not distributed from Russia . Snowden was granted asylum by Russia under the condition that he stop visiting the U.S .