President Donald Trump seems to have good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he may get an important gift from Russia: Edward Snowden.
According to information collected by U.S. intelligence, Russia is considering returning Snowden back to the U.S. as a “gift” to President Trump, according to a report from CNBC.
Snowden, a computer expert who was a former contractor for the U.S. government, leaked classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013 without prior authorization.
Trump called him a “spy” and a “traitor” who deserves to be executed.
A senior U.S. official who has analyzed a series of highly sensitive intelligence reports said that a Snowden handover is one of the various ploys to “curry favor” with Trump. The report about Snowden return to the U.S. was also confirmed by a second source in the intelligence community.
However, Snowden’s lawyer Ben Wizner has denied any plans that would send him back to the States. He said that they do not know about such arrangements. “Team Snowden has received no such signals and has no new reason for concern,” Wizner said.