President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday made clear that his government won't let the issue of American fugitive Edward Snowden derail the relationship between the two countries.
Speaking to reporters in the far eastern city of Chita, President Putin said U.S.-Russia relationship is more important than any intelligence scandal.
"International relations, in my opinion, are more important than the special services' hassles," said Putin.
"We have no plans to go into details. We warned Mr. Snowden that any of his actions damaging Russian-U.S. relations are unacceptable for us," said Vladimir Putin, reported Reuters.
Earlier, Putin had stated that Snowden arrived on Russian territory without Moscow's invitation and had said that he would leave Russia as soon as possible.
"He is familiar with the conditions of granting political asylum, and judging by the latest statements, is shifting his position. The situation is not clear now," Putin had said.
"He is a young man, as a matter of fact, we don't quite understand how he made his decision and how he is going to shape his life in future, but this is his future and his choice," Putin told reporters Wednesday.
Snowden, the leaker of U.S. National Security Agency's surveillance program of monitoring movements and communications of people has made asylum requests to more than 35 countries. Though many turned down his request, several countries in Latin America including Venezuela have offered him asylum but he is apparently unable to fly since his passport has been revoked. He has sought temporary asylum in Russia and is awaiting a response from the Moscow government.
