Venezuelan asylum 'best solution' for Edward Snowden, says Russian lawmaker

A senior member of the Russian Parliament said political asylum in Venezuela would be "the best solution" for Edward Snowden (pictured), the former intelligence contractor on the run from US authorities.

The comments by Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the international affairs committee of the state Duma, Parliament's lower house, came as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia extended the first firm offers of asylum to Snowden, who has been holed up at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport for two weeks, and seemed to reflect the Kremlin's increasing desire to be rid of him.

"Sanctuary for Snowden in Venezuela would be the best solution," Pushkov posted on Twitter. "The country has a sharp conflict with the United States. It will not be worse. And he can't live in Sheremetyevo."

The US and Venezuela recently began talks toward reconciliation, progress an Obama administration official said would end if Venezuela sheltered Snowden, as President Nicolas Maduro said he would, or facilitated his journey. The official cautioned other Latin American nations, hinting that relations would worsen if they helped Snowden.

Pushkov's comments typically echo the Kremlin's line and they underscored a crucial point: Russia still has no intention of turning Snowden over to the US or impeding his travel to any country willing to shelter him.

In fact, far more powerful Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have suggested that there is no set limit on the time Snowden can remain in the airport's transit zone, where technically, they say, he has not crossed onto Russia territory. But Putin has also said that the sooner Snowden picks a destination and leaves, the better.