Edward Snowden, the source behind stories about top secret U.S. government surveillance programs who has been stuck in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since June 23, has officially applied for asylum in Russia, according to his lawyer.
Russia's federal migration service has no immediate comment, The Guardian reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday he wanted Snowden to leave the country, saying he doesn't want him to strain United States–Russian relations.
Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua have all offered Snowden asylum, but traveling there from Moscow would require traveling over U.S. airspace or the airspace of American allies.