Edward Snowden swears allegiance to Russia, receives new passport

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Edward Snowden has recieved a Russian passport and taken an oath of allegiance to the country, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told Russian state media on Friday. “And I look forward to the day I can return to the States, so the whole family can be reunited.” In September, Mr Snowden received Russian citizenship — tweeting his hope that “a little stability will make a difference for my family.” Mr Kucherena told the Russian news agency Interfax that Mr Snowden’s wife Lindsay Mills is also applying for Russian citizenship. The US State Department said Friday, in a statement reported by The Washington Post, that it is “aware of the reports” about Mr Snowden’s new passport “not in a position to confirm or deny whether Mr. Snowden has acquired Russian Federation citizenship.” Recommended Putin grants NSA leaker Edward Snowden Russian citizenship Despite calls for former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump to pardon Mr Snowden for his role in exposing the extent to the US surveillance project, Mr Snowden is still wanted in the US on charges of espionage. Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed a partial military mobilisation of the country in November, but Mr Snowden’s lawyer said he was not subject to the recent mobilisation order even though there have been reports that Russians with no prior military experience have drafted into the war effort.