Edward Snowden still in Moscow airport, President Vladimir Putin confirms

Edward Snowden is still in the transit area at Moscow airport, Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed.

Vladimir Putin said intelligence leaker Edward Snowden remained a free man, and the sooner he chose a destination the better.

The US said earlier that it did not seek “confrontation”, but that Russia should hand over Edward Snowden.

Because Edward Snowden is in the pre-immigration area of the airport, he is technically not yet on Russian soil.

The Russians have rejected American charges that they have assisted Edward Snowden.

China has also rejected similar charges, saying accusations that it allowed him to leave Hong Kong despite a warrant for his arrest were “groundless and unacceptable”.

Edward Snowden flew from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday. The US has revoked Edward Snowden’s passport, and he has applied for asylum in Ecuador.

He was expected to board a flight to the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Monday but never appeared.

Speaking at a news conference earlier on Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Moscow to comply with common law practices between countries and extradite Edward Snowden to America.

“There are standards of behavior between sovereign nations. There is common law,” John Kerry said.

“We would simply call on our friends in Russia to respect the fact that a partner nation- a co-member of the permanent five of the United Nations [Security Council] – has made a normal request under legal systems.”

But President Vladimir Putin said that Russian security agencies “didn’t work and aren’t working” with Edward Snowden.

His comments back up those of his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who earlier insisted that “we are in no way involved with either Mr. Snowden, his relations with US justice, nor his movements around the world”.

Edward Snowden, 30, is wanted by the US for revealing to the media details of a secret government surveillance programme, which he obtained while working as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).

He is charged with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence.