Edward Snowden is not booked to fly out of Moscow over the next three days, and with no valid passport, the NSA whistleblower might be stuck in airport limbo indefinitely.
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The hot pursuit of Snowden has ground to a halt three days after the former CIA technician, wanted in the US on espionage charges, flew into Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport from Hong Kong.
Washington, which wants Snowden for leaking details of the National Security Agency's (NSA) dragnet telephone and internet surveillance programs, charges that there is a clear legal basis for Moscow to hand him over.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who confirmed that Snowden had arrived in Moscow as a transit passenger despite speculation to the contrary, rebuffed US demands on Tuesday.
"We can only extradite any foreign citizens to such countries with which we have signed the appropriate international agreements on criminal extradition," Putin said, adding that as Snowden had committed no crime on Russian soil, he is free to travel at will.
"Snowden is a free person. The sooner he chooses his final destination, the better it is for him and Russia," Putin continued.
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