Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has granted citizenship to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.
Snowden has been living in Russia since 2013 after he leaked classified information about U.S. government surveillance programs.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Putin had signed a decree “on granting Russian Federation citizenship to a person who has been forced to leave his home country for political reasons.”
It is not clear if Snowden will accept the offer of citizenship, but it would allow him to travel freely outside of Russia.
The move by Putin is likely to further strained relations between the U.S. and Russia.
