Relations Strained Over Russia's Decision to Grant Asylum to Edward Snowden

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Relations Strained Over Russia's Decision to Grant Asylum to Edward Snowden

The Wall Street Journal

Obama Cancels Meeting With Putin Amid Tension Over Snowden

Relations Strained Over Russia's Decision to Grant Asylum to NSA Leaker

PETER NICHOLAS

Reuters

U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Group of Eight Summit in Northern Ireland on June 17.

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama canceled a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin set to be held in Moscow next month, following Russia's decision to grant asylum to former U.S. contractor Edward Snowden, the White House said Wednesday.

President Obama canceled a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next month. WSJ's Jerry Seib explains the move follows Russia's decision to grant asylum to former U.S. contractor Edward Snowden. Photo: AP.

Russia-U.S. relations face more strain after Barack Obama canceled his meeting with Vladimir Putin ahead of the G-20 summit next month. Will world leaders be able to achieve anything with the two parties sitting at opposite ends of the room? Dr. Donald Jensen of Johns Hopkins University joins Lunch Break. Photo: AP.

Timeline: Obama and Russia

Look Back at U.S.-Russia Relations

U.S.-Russian relations have been strained over Moscow's handling of Mr. Snowden, the National Security Agency leaker who was granted asylum in Russia last week. The White House had previously signaled Mr. Obama was unlikely to attend a planned one-on-one meeting with Mr. Putin next month in Moscow ahead of the Group of 20 summit in St. Petersburg.
"There are times when they slip back into Cold War thinking and Cold War mentality," Mr. Obama said of Russia in an interview on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on Tuesday night. "What I continually say to them and to President Putin, that's the past."
Mr. Obama still plans to attend the G-20 summit scheduled for early September, which Russia is hosting.

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