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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: "He did not cross the Russian border"
Russia says it has had no involvement in the travel plans of fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.
The exact whereabouts of Mr Snowden, who flew to Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday, are unclear.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted he had not crossed the Russian border.
He criticised what he termed US attempts to blame Russia for his disappearance, saying they were "groundless and unacceptable".
Correspondents say Mr Lavrov's comments suggest that Mr Snowden remained air-side after landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, and so has technically never entered Russian territory.
"We are in no way involved with either Mr Snowden, his relations with US justice, nor to his movements around the world," Mr Lavrov said.
"He chose his itinerary on his own. We learnt about it... from the media. He has not crossed the Russian border.
Analysis
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's assertion that the fugitive American "hasn't crossed the Russian border" may well be technically correct - Edward Snowden may. for all we know, remain "in transit" at the hotel, air-side, at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
But it is hard to believe that the Russians are not exploring what information they can get from Mr Snowden, if any.
He is at the very least a potential intelligence gift horse that has almost literally dropped into their laps.
Mr Lavrov was clearly irked by US pressure, saying that attempts to accuse the Russian side of flouting US laws were "unjustified and unacceptable". Moscow's annoyance is mirrored by Beijing.
As yet it is still too early to say what long-term damage this affair may do to China and Russia's relations with Washington. But the US-Russia relationship in particular could get seriously strained the longer this saga goes on.
"We consider the attempts to accuse the Russian side of violating US laws, and practically of involvement in a plot, to be absolutely groundless and unacceptable."
The 30-year-old IT expert is wanted by the US for revealing to the media details of a secret government surveillance programme, which he obtained while working as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
He is charged with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.
Mr Snowden has applied for asylum in Ecuador. The US has revoked his passport.
Reuters news agency quotes a Moscow airport source as saying that Mr Snowden arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon and was due to depart for the Cuban capital, Havana, the following day, but did not use the ticket.
The source said he was travelling with Sarah Harrison, a British legal researcher working for the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks.
Meanwhile, China has also described US accusations that it facilitated the departure of fugitive Edward Snowden from Hong Kong as "groundless and unacceptable".
A foreign ministry spokeswoman said the Hong Kong government had handled the former US intelligence officer's case in accordance with the law.
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Hawaii
20 May: Snowden flies from Hawaii to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
5 June: From Hong Kong, Snowden discloses details of what he describes as a vast US phone and internet surveillance programme to the UK's Guardian newspaper.
Moscow
23 June: Snowden leaves Hong Kong on a flight to Moscow. He is currently thought to remain airside at Sheremetyevo airport.
Cuba
From Moscow, Snowden could fly to Cuba, en route to Ecuador, which has said it is "analysing" whether to grant him asylum.
Venezuela
Venezuela had also been considered a possible destination for Snowden, however it is thought he would only pass through on his way to Ecuador.
Ecuador
Snowden is reported to have requested asylum in Ecuador, which previously granted haven to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in its London embassy.
The White House had criticised what it termed "a deliberate choice to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant".
'Sanctimonious mask'The Chinese government has expressed deep concern about Mr Snowden's allegations that the US had hacked into networks in China.
Tuesday saw the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party praise Mr Snowden for "tearing off Washington's sanctimonious mask".
Snowden leaks timeline
- 5 June: First leak published in the Guardian saying the National Security Agency (NSA) is collecting the telephone records of millions of people in the US
- 6 June: Details of the US Prism internet surveillance programme published by the Guardian and Washington Post
- 9 June: Guardian identifies Edward Snowden as the source of the leaks, at his own request, and says he has been in Hong Kong since 20 May
- 14 June: US files criminal charges against Mr Snowden
- 23 June - Mr Snowden leaves Hong Kong for Moscow, Ecuador confirms he has applied for political asylum and Washington urges countries to send him back to the US
- 24 June - Mr Snowden is believed to be in Russia; Moscow says it is studying a US extradition request
In a strongly worded front-page commentary, the overseas edition of the People's Daily said: "Not only did the US authorities not give us an explanation and apology, it instead expressed dissatisfaction at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for handling things in accordance with law.
"In a sense, the United States has gone from a 'model of human rights' to 'an eavesdropper on personal privacy', the 'manipulator' of the centralised power over the international internet, and the mad 'invader' of other countries' networks."
Speaking during a visit to India, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it would be "deeply troubling" if it became clear that China had "wilfully" allowed him to fly out of Hong Kong.
"There would be without any question some effect and impact on the relationship and consequences," he said.
He also called on Russia to "live by the standards of the law because that's in the interests of everybody".
Mr Snowden was in hiding in Hong Kong when his leaks were first published.
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Journalists look for Mr Snowden on board a flight to Havana, however, his seat is left empty as Julie Peacock reports
He is being supported by the whistleblowing website Wikileaks, which said on Sunday that he was heading to Ecuador accompanied by some of its diplomats and legal advisers.
Ecuador is already giving political asylum at its London embassy to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden over allegations of sexual assault - which he denies.
Mr Snowden's leaks have led to revelations that the US is systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data under an NSA programme known as Prism.
US officials have defended the practice of gathering telephone and internet data from private users around the world.
They say Prism cannot be used to target intentionally any Americans or anyone in the US, and stress that it is supervised by judges.
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