Post date: Dec 20, 2013 1:2:38 PM
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he has never met former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden and that Russian intelligence services have not worked with him since his arrival in Russia.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 19, 2013) (RUSSIAN POOL) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (December 19) said he has not met with former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden to whom Russiagranted political asylum this year.
At a packed annual news conference in Moscow, Putin said he did not personally know Snowden."I have never met him. He has his own views about life, about what he should do and how. I won't hide it that he seems very interesting to me," Putin, 61, said, adding that Russian intelligence agencies had not made contact with Snowden.
"I've already said that, and will say once again in an almost professional language, from the intelligence point of view, we do not work with him and have never worked with him. And we don't bug him with all those questions as to what was being done in relation to Russia or how it was being done at the agency he worked for," he said.
Documents leaked by Snowden have revealed details of widespread surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA) and ignited a furore over the agency's spying.
Putin, who looked relaxed and confident at his annual question-and-answer session with hundreds of journalists from across Russia and which is broadcast across the nation, said he envied President Barack Obama for the might of U.S. intelligence services.
"I envy him because he is able to do this, and nobody will do anything to him for that. There is not much to rejoice about all this though. But on the other hand, there is no big reason to be unhappy about it either."
As for Snowden, Putin said it was up to the American to decide what to do next.
"Well, he should live his life by himself in the future. We are not helping him but we are not hurting him either. We just gave him asylum."
Snowden is living in Russia under temporary asylum that is due to expire in August.
On Tuesday (December 17) the NSA contractor made a case for asylum in Brazil, a request he has previously made but which remains unanswered.
In "An Open Letter to the Brazilian People," published by newspaper Folha De S. Paulo, Snowden said he would like to assist in a congressional probe into the NSA's spying program, which monitored the personal communications of PresidentDilma Rousseff and other Brazilians.