Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow’s relations with the United States are more important than a dispute over fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.
Putin’s comments Wednesday come a day after Snowden applied for temporary asylum in Russia. The former National Security Agency contractor has been holed up in the transit zone of a Moscow airport since June 23.
The U.S. wants Russia to send him home to face charges of espionage related to the release of classified information on U.S. intelligence programs.
Putin did not say whether Russia would grant Snowden’s request. But he said bilateral relations are “far more important than squabbles surrounding the work of security services.”
He also reiterated his stance that Snowden is welcome to stay in Russia, but only if he stops leaking information that is damaging to the United States.
