WASHINGTON -- A highly anticipated fall summit between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin could become a casualty of Moscow's defiant decision to grant temporary asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, the White House signaled Thursday after weeks of pressuring and pleading for his return to face prosecution.
Russia's decision "is not a positive development," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
"We are extremely disappointed that the Russian government would take this step despite our very clear and lawful requests in public and in private to have Mr. Snowden expelled to the United States to face the charges against him," Carney said.
Obama is scheduled to go to Russia in September for the Group of 20 economic summit in St. Petersburg and also stop in Moscow for one-on-one talks Putin. The White House alternately has demanded that Russia return Snowden while also saying it doesn't want his case to negatively impact relations with Moscow.
| In other words, Champ is being his usual lofty, mealy-mouthed self... |
Asked whether Obama would still travel to Moscow, Carney said pointedly, "We are evaluating the utility of a summit."
There was a strong reaction from some lawmakers.
"Russia's action today is a disgrace and a deliberate effort to embarrass the United States. It is a slap in the face of all Americans," Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said in a joint statement. "Now is the time to fundamentally rethink our relationship with Putin's Russia."
| Yeah, let's rethink by sending all the RINOs to Russia... |
The senators suggested expanding U.S. sanctions against Russians accused of human rights violations, completing U.S. missile defense programs based in Europe, and moving quickly on another round of NATO expansion to include the Republic of Georgia.
A top Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, said Obama should recommend moving the G-20 summit. Long before Thursday's decision, Graham suggested the U.S. boycott the Winter Olympics taking place next year in Sochi, Russia.
"Russia has stabbed us in the back, and each day that Mr. Snowden is allowed to roam free is another twist of the knife," Schumer said.
| Few people know more about stabbing someone in the back then Chuckie Schumer. Okay, okay, Dick Durbin... |
"There is no question that there are a range of issues, setting aside the disposition of Mr. Snowden, on which we are currently in disagreement with Russia," Carney said.
| And in each case we're rolling over... |
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