The U.S. will continue to demand Edward Snowden's extradition

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.

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 newspapers The Guardian and The Washington Post secret information belonging to NSA and 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 subject of an international search by the U.S. authorities; he has been at Sheremetyevo Airport from 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.

The expert also gave her assessment of Russian-American relations in general and talked about what we can expect from the talks between Russia and the United States which will be held in September at the summit of the G20.