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Russia not planning to discuss Snowden during Putin-Trump talks — Lavrov

The Times earlier reported that Donald Trump may request Snowden’s extradition to the United States while meeting with his Russian counterpart in Helsinki

Edward Snowden Pavel Smertin/TASS

Edward Snowden

© Pavel Smertin/TASS

MOSCOW, June 30. /TASS/. Moscow is not planning to discuss the extradition of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden during the upcoming Russia-US summit in Helsinki on July 16, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday in an interview with UK Channel 4.

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Snowden’s arrival in Russia took Moscow by surprise, Putin says

"We never discussed Edward Snowden with this administration," he said. "President Putin addressed the issue some years ago. When he was asked this question, he said is for Edward Snowden to decide. And we respect his rights as an individual, and that’s why … we are not in a position to expel him against his will."

"I don’t know why people start asking this particular question in relation to the summit. Edward Snowden is the master of his own destiny," Russia’s top diplomat added.

The Times earlier reported that US President Donald Trump may request Snowden’s extradition to the United States while meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki.

Edward Snowden is a computer specialist who worked as a contractor for the US National Security Agency and leaked details of its mass surveillance programs to the press in 2013. He fled to Hong Kong and subsequently flew to Moscow in order to head to Ecuador. However, he remained in Russia as the US revoked his passport. Snowden asked more than 20 countries, including Russia, for political asylum. On August 1, 2014, he was granted a residence permit in Russia and has since stayed in the country. He faces years of jail time in the US on espionage charges.

US administration officials have said on many occasions that they viewed Snowden as a traitor and were not going to pardon him, because he seriously damaged US national security interests.

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