In The Situation With Snowden The USA Can Not Bend With Pressure On Moscow / Mikhail Neyzhmakov
According to Snowden, he would like to go to Latin America, where a number of countries declared their readiness to grant him a political asylum, but he cannot leave Moscow because U.S. authorities cancelled his passport.
The possible consequences for Russian-American relations are commented by Mikhail Neyzhmakov, specially for REX news agency.
Immediately after the Snowden’s escape the United States should have understood that the ex-employee of their special services may be in Russia. Despite the requests for asylum in European countries Snowden did not go there because he would have been arrested there at once (incident with the airplane of Evo Morales has only confirmed this). Washington would have easily twisted the arms of weak Third World countries. Hospitality of the rogue states (like DPRK) is not necessary for American unmasker, because in this case he would have broken with western world. And after all he appeals to the western society in all his statements. For the same reason he did not want to stay in China - because then in the eyes of many listeners in the West it would appear no longer a romantic truth-seeker, but the "mouthpiece of Beijing". As a result, the Snowden’s choice appeared extremely poor. He needed a shelter on the outskirts of the western world, but in a country that will not give him up to the United States. Russia or some countries in Latin America show the best correlation with this criteria.
In Washington it should have been perfectly understood that Moscow will not give them the fugitive. Let us pay attention to the fact that in the incident with the Morales airplane even France decided not to lose its face completely and just to close its area. A search on the plane and the other impartial actions were committed to the Austrian authorities with no great power ambitions. And only one problem in this story certainly makes the management of the U.S. nervous. Fallen silent to be accepted in Russia (in compliance with Putin’s condition), Snowden brings for them not less problems. Snowden's revelations were not carrying anything yet but essentially harmless information noise. But if Snowden will leave the transit area of Sheremetyevo, Russian special services will have more opportunities to work with him. But Washington is essentially powerless. Requirement for Moscow to protect Snowden from the Russian special services will look quite comical. The U.S. will rather try to put pressure on Russia with the requirement to send Snowden as soon as possible. However, the USA are interested in cooperation with Moscow, that is why it cannot bend with pressure. As a result, the Snowden’s epopee is likely to continue.