MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said relations between Russia and the United States were more important than any intelligence scandal.
Putin made a statement in relation to American intelligence leaker Edward Snowden's application for temporary asylum in Russia.
Stating that Russia had an independent foreign policy and couldn't act like other states, Putin said, “Bilateral relations, in my opinion, are far more important than squabbles about the activities of the secret services."
"Russia has warned Snowden that any actions by him connected with harming Russian-American relations are unacceptable,” while in Russia, Putin also told reporters.
Snowden submitted a request for asylum in Russia on July 16, after being stuck at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport transit zone since arriving from Hong Kong on June 23. Snowden faces prosecution in the US for leaking highly sensitive classified data about the US National Security Agency's surveillance activities.
