Press TV has interviewed Edward Lozansky, President of the World Russia Forum, Moscow, about US President Obama's cancellation of a meeting with Russia's President Putin because Russia granted temporary asylum to NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.Press TV:How significant do you believe this situation is that Obama canceled this meeting?
LozanskyI think it's very important and I think it's unfortunate, I think it's a big mistake because you don't cancel summits like that. Frankly I dont recall of any summit cancellation after the Cold war.
It's pretty unfortunate because the US needs Russia because Russia is helping the United States in many areas of the world, most importantly of course in Afghanistan. Russia is saving American lives and materials they have to take from Afghanistan as a way out.
Snubbing Vladimir Putin, well it wouldn't help something like that. I think it's a tremendous foreign policy mistake.
Press TV:Certainly we should have expected some repercussion for Russia granting temporary asylum to Snowden?
LozanskyRussia had no choice. Even the United States public opinion is divided on whether Snowden is a hero or traitor.
Even in some of political circles like possible future presidential candidate Ron Paul and former president, Jimmy Carter, they think that Snowden is a hero. And all people in Washington are saying that Snowden, what he revealed, certainly deserves attention and investigation.
So Russia basically had no choice. There is neither legal ground for expatriate Snowden, nor moral grounds and using this case was not really smart policy because the US has many former Soviet defectors.
Even during Yeltsin's time when Russia was considered to be a democracy, some KGB or FSB operatives defected to the United States, but Russia never cancelled a summit or even a bilateral meeting over these cases so this is a very terrible mistake.
I would like to add that maybe there is some chance to repair the damage because Obama is still going to St. Petersburg for the G20 meeting. So perhaps if Putin shows the high road instead of simply retaliating and snubbing Obama; if he shakes his hand and invites him to talk in St. Petersburg, maybe this somehow could repair the damage. I think that's what he should do.
By Press TV
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