Putin: Russia ready to grant Comey asylum if he persecuted in U.S.

Xinhua Published: 2017-06-16 07:07:46
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking to the media after his annual televised call-in show in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 15, 2017. Putin has his annual live call-in show, a TV marathon lasting for hours in which he may for the first time declare his intention to seek another term in 2018, comment on the latest opposition protest and talk about Russia-U.S. ties and other issues. [Photo: AP /Alexander Zemlianichenko]

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking to the media after his annual televised call-in show in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 15, 2017. Putin has his annual live call-in show, a TV marathon lasting for hours in which he may for the first time declare his intention to seek another term in 2018, comment on the latest opposition protest and talk about Russia-U.S. ties and other issues. [Photo: AP /Alexander Zemlianichenko]

Russia is willing to grant asylum to former chief of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey in case he is persecuted in the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Comey, sacked by the Trump administration last month, acted like U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden, said the Russian leader during an annual televised call-in known as "Direct Line with Vladimir Putin."

"When a special service head records a conversation with the commander-in-chief and gives it to the media through one of his friends ... he is then not a special service head but a human rights advocate who defends a certain position," said Putin.

Snowden, a computer professional who had done contractual work for the U.S. National Security Agency, is now living under asylum in Russia. He fled to Russia in 2013 after revealing thousands of classified documents to the press.

"If there is persecution against Comey, we will be ready to grant him political asylum as well," said Putin.

According to the Trump administration, Comey was fired because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation during the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. But the former FBI director believed that he was sacked due to his investigation into Russian ties to the Trump campaign.

As for Comey's investigation into Russian interference in the presidential elections, Putin said that Comey provided no evidence.

On the same day, Putin also touched on the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, saying he hopes it will start a new stage of cooperation in Eurasia and beyond.

This initiative is unique and successful, said Putin when answering a question raised by Xinhua after his annual "direct line" call-in session.

"The main thing that we must do is to unite our efforts within the frameworks of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Belt and Road Initiative," said Putin.

The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013 consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

The EAEU comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with an aim to encourage regional economic integration through the free movement of goods, services and people within the union.

Putin expressed confidence that the two development plans will be connected as Russia and China "have many overlapping goals and complementary opportunities."

"I have no doubt that we will work together and this work will be effective and beneficial for the Chinese and Russian people as well as the global economy," he said.

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