Former US National Security Agency (NSA) employee Edward Snowden spoke about his rejection of life in Moscow, his attitude towards modern Russia, and whether he is recognized on the streets. He was a guest on the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) by American comedian and sportscaster Joe Rogan.
“This does not make my life easier - to be imprisoned in a country that I did not choose. People forget that I was actually on my way to Latin America. Then the US authorities canceled my passport, and so I was left without an exit in Russia,”he said. According to Snowden, he "has no love for the Russian authorities."
A former NSA official who fled the United States said that over the years he began to lead a freer life in Moscow. “I walk, ride the subway, go to restaurants. I am almost never recognized. I do not give interviews to Russian media because I do not want to see my face on the news. This is good, because people forget my face to some extent and I can continue to live my life,”Snowden said.
Rogan asked if Snowden had learned Russian during his life in Russia. “My Russian is still disgusting, to my regret,” the American replied. According to Snowden, people recognize him about a couple of times a year, even when he walks without glasses. He was recognized on the streets, in museums, in computer stores and supermarkets. He recalled an incident when a passerby recognized him despite the fact that he was wrapped in a scarf. Then the surprised American only confirmed the guess and replied that he was glad to meet you.
He also talked about how the attitude towards Russia has changed in the modern world and how the American media often speak negatively of everyone who is in any way connected with Moscow. “Any association, every mention in the text or paragraph next to the word“Russia”is now considered a negative moment. Understand that I have been criticizing the Russian authorities for a long time, just recently a negative article was written about me in the Russian state-owned media called RIA Novosti,”he said.
He did not specify the name of the material. According to Snowden, the article criticized him for speaking positively about opposition leader Alexei Navalny. A former secret service official explained that he was not talking about Navalny at all, but about the need to give citizens a chance to freely express their views without threatening retaliation.
In 2016, Snowden already talked about his impressions of life in the Russian capital. Then he admitted that his knowledge of the Russian language is enough to place an order in a restaurant, but mainly he speaks English. At the time, Snowden also noticed that he had little connection with Russia.
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Snowden ended up in Russia in 2013. Shortly before that, he handed over to the journalists The Guardian and The Washington Post documents about the program of the American intelligence services to spy on US citizens and residents of other countries. After fleeing, he first requested political asylum from many countries, including Russia. He received an official permit to stay in Russia in 2014 for three years. In 2017, this permit was extended for the same period, until 2020.
In the United States, Snowden is accused of illegally transmitting information of great importance to national security, deliberately transmitting intelligence information and stealing state property. On these charges, he faces up to 30 years in prison.
