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“Mr. Snowden is a free man, and the sooner he chooses his final destination the better it is for us and for him,” Mr. Putin said. “I hope it will not affect the business-like character of our relations with the U.S. and I hope that our partners will understand that.”
Mr. Putin compared Mr. Snowden to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been provided asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, saying both men were labelled criminals but consider themselves rights activists and champions of freedom of information.
“Ask yourself a question: Should people like that be extradited so that they put them in prison or not?” Mr. Putin said. “In any case, I would prefer not to deal with such issues. It’s like shearing a piglet: a lot of squealing and little wool.”
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