US President Donald Trump is meeting up with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a long-awaited summit on 16 July in Helsinki, Finland.
Even though the agenda of this meeting remains to be discussed, many in the Russian media are today suggesting that Mr. Putin, in order to get the US to back down on sanctions, should offer a ‘surprise gift’ to Mr. Trump, in the form of Mr. Edward Snowden.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Snowden translated: "What's a whistleblower to do about all these pesky extradition treaties?"</p>— Clark Weber (@Sarelan29) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sarelan29/status/1013086127983595523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The latter has put himself into a difficult position now that he has openly offended his Russian hosts in an interview with the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
Mr. Snowden stated clearly that the Russian government is “corrupt in many ways”. The whistle-blower of the NSA scandal who has been in the country for five years to escape the American intelligence services spoke with the German newspaper from an undisclosed location, though many are convinced the Russian KGB knows exactly where he is.
Related coverage: https://thegoldwater.com/news/29982-Trump-Putin-Summit-To-Be-Held-July-16-In-Helsinki-Finland
The former NSA contractual agent claims that the inhabitants of Russia are very aware of the problems they face: "The Russians know that. The government is the problem, not the Russian people. "
British newspaper The Guardian who first broke the privacy scandal of which Snowden was the whistle-blower, points out that his words might have far-reaching consequences.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Snowden describes Russian govt as corrupt… <a href="https://t.co/1doWO23tPx">https://t.co/1doWO23tPx</a></p>— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) <a href="https://twitter.com/DRUDGE_REPORT/status/1012831972865945600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In the US Snowden still risks persecution, and there is a chance that Trump insists on extradition. Putin must now make the decision: does he opt for the publicity that comes with catching Snowden, or does he give Trump a 'gift' in the form of the extradition of the privacy activist. Now that he is increasingly critical of the only country that wants to take care of him, the chances of an extradition are rising.
Related coverage: https://thegoldwater.com/news/27963-Kim-Dotcom-Asks-Assange-Snowden-To-Cooperate-On-New-Social-Media-Platform
During the interview with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Mr. Snowden also claimed to be disillusioned with the lack of support he so far received from Germany. Ms. Merkel is not doing enough to take care of whistle-blowers, according to Snowden, while also pointing to the case of Julian Assange, still held up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
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Twitter: #saturdaymorning #DiMaria #QAnon #Mbappe #Giroud #Griezmann
If Snowden Rockefeller doesn't like Russia, he should be shipped back to the US.