The former CIA analyst, Edward Snowden, spoke after being granted Russian citizenship under the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Snowden, who fled the United States in 2013 after leaking classified information about the surveillance programs of the US government, highlighted the stability for his family that he will have after his new status.
“After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I do not want to separate from our children. After two years of waiting and almost ten years of exile, a little stability will make a difference for my family. I pray for the privacy of them and of all of us”, Snowden specified on his Twitter account.
The former analyst was accused of espionage in the United States, and has been in exile in Moscow for nearly a decade to avoid prosecution.
Snowden said in 2019 that he finally wanted to return to the United States if the government guaranteed him a fair trial. However, he applied for an extended residence permit at the beginning of 2020 and applied for Russian citizenship.
The measure is generated after the leader of the Kremlin granted citizenship to 75 foreigners in Monday’s decree following the controversial order for the partial mobilization of hundreds of thousands of reservists to fight in the war against Ukraine, reported The Hill.
Among the reactions, the State Department, to Through his spokesman Ned Price, he insisted that Snowden be extradited and prosecuted like any American.
“Our position has not changed. Mr. Snowden should return to the United States, where he has to face justice as any other American citizen would,” Price said.
The official added that he is not aware that Snowden renounced his passport American, and hinted that given his new citizenship, the former analyst could be recruited as a reservist to fight in the war in Ukraine.