By Vestnik Kavkaza
In June 2013, an American technical assistant and former employee of the CIA and the National Security Agency in the United States passed to the the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers secret information belonging to NSA concerning the total surveillance of U.S. intelligence for the information communications between the citizens of many countries around the world, using existing information networks and communication networks. The U.S. charged Snowden in absentia with embezzling state property, disclosure of information on national defense and deliberate transfer of classified information to unauthorized persons.
He is the subject of an international warrant by the U.S. authorities; he has been at Sheremetyevo Airport since June 23. Edward Snowden said he wanted to stay in Russia forever to get work here. So far the question of his fate has not been resolved: a document authorizing him to leave the transit area is not yet ready. Meanwhile, the White House wants Russia to clarify the status of its former spy and insists on his extradition to the U.S. government.
Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, the General Director of the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies and Initiatives Veronica Krasheninnikova, commented on the difficult situation surrounding Edward Snowden. The expert also gave her assessment of Russian-American relations in general.
- Please comment on the situation with Snowden. What can we expect? What will happen?
- I think that now there is an administrative procedure in order to ensure the stay of Edward in Russia in full compliance with the laws of Russia. We will have to wait until the end of the procedure. It is clear that the U.S. will continue to require the extradition of Edward Snowden, although in this situation the White House is in a somewhat precarious position: Edward Snowden, as he claims, acted in the name of the ideals of the American state, the principles that are written in the U.S. Constitution, he referred to the fourth amendment of the U.S. Constitution. And, actually, it is difficult to chase a man for the fact that he is defending the U.S. Constitution. Nevertheless, it will be done. Any country that will support Edward Snowden will be under political pressure from the United States. In the case of Russia, the situation with Snowden is only an additional element, an additional problem to the already long list of complaints which the White House formulates in relation to Russia.
- What can you say about the summit that will take place in September? What can we expect from the talks between Russia and the U.S.?
- Currently, US-Russian relations have really become quite stressful, but this is the normal state of relations with the United States for any state that asserts its independence and sovereignty. So we do not need to be afraid of complicated relations with the U.S. For the U.S. it is also disadvantageous to complicate relations with Russia, because Washington needs a normal working relationship with Moscow on Syria, on NATO cargo transit from Afghanistan, on Iran and some other issues on the international agenda, as well as on the Russian-US agenda. I think that the agenda may include enough issues for a constructive dialogue. As for those issues which the U.S. is not interested in pedalling, they will be discussed in other terms.
Meanwhile, the deputy head of the Center of European Atlantic Studies, Alexander Bedritsky, thinks that the situation over Snowden won’t influence Russian-American relations negatively: “It is not important for relations between the RF and the USA. Internal political processes inside the US are more important. For example, whether Obama is free in making decisions or not… The two countries have both problematic topics and those on which they agree with each other. There are affairs which Russia and America can discuss calmly: Afghanistan, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Many other topics cause difficulties in talks. For example, Syria… The upcoming meeting between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama will hardly have any serious consequences. The summit in September is important from the point of view of image. But it won’t settle serious problems. Nevertheless, the summit establishes a platform for future dialogue between Russia and the USA.”
