President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that a former US spy agency contractor sought by the United States was in the transit area of a Moscow airport but ruled out handing him over to Washington, dismissing US criticisms as "ravings and rubbish".
His refusal to hand back Edward Snowden risked deepening a rift with the United States that has also sucked in China and threatens relations between countries that may be essential in settling global conflicts including the Syrian war.
China rejected US criticism for letting Snowden flee the Chinese colony of Hong Kong as "baseless".
His refusal to hand back Edward Snowden risked deepening a rift with the United States that has also sucked in China and threatens relations between countries that may be essential in settling global conflicts including the Syrian war.
China rejected US criticism for letting Snowden flee the Chinese colony of Hong Kong as "baseless".