Edward Snowden, a US National Security Agency whistleblower who sought sanctuary in Moscow after disclosing extensive eavesdropping, was given Russian citizenship on Monday by President Vladimir Putin.
At a time when ties between Washington and Moscow are at an all-time low due to the situation in Ukraine, a presidential decree includes Edward Joseph Snowden, born on June 21, 1983, on a list of recently naturalized Russian nationals.
Whistleblower Snowden, who is currently on the run, claimed in November 2020 that he had applied for Russian citizenship but intended to maintain his US status. The former American intelligence worker has been living in exile in Russia since 2013 charges that the US government was snooping on its citizens.
Moscow’s rigorous citizenship requirements were loosened a few years ago to allow people to hold Russian passports without giving up their native countries. Kucherena stated that Snowden would not be called up to serve since he had no prior experience in the Russian army after Putin indicated last week that Russian men will be mobilized to assist in the army’s struggle in Ukraine.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, informed news organizations that Snowden applied for and was granted Russian citizenship.
