Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Gotland Island yesterday and emphasized that Edward Snowden, an ex-agent of the CIA hiding at the Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport for weeks, wanted to move to a different country for permanent residence. Putin noted that it was the US that prevented Snowden from moving to other countries.
Alexey Vlasov, Editor-in-Chief of Vestnik Kavkaza, clarified that the president was speaking ironically about the complicated situation of Washington. The US lacked instruments to pressurize Moscow, so the president could describe the situation in a rather comic tone, Vlasov explained.
The Kremlin had full control over the situation, although Moscow was demonstrating aloofness towards the process and expressing excitement to settle the issue as soon as possible. In other words, Putin demonstrated his skill of taking advantage of such situations for the sake of his image, the expert concluded.
