Snowden Asylum Undercuts Obama’s Efforts on Russia Ties

Russia’s decision to grant temporary asylum to fugitive National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden is a blow to President Barack Obama’s desire to “reset” U.S. relations with its Cold War enemy.

The Russian action yesterday puts in doubt a summit planned for next month between Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and drew calls from U.S. lawmakers for retaliatory actions likely to further strain relations between the two military powers. The U.S. is evaluating the “utility” of a summit, according to White House spokesman Jay Carney, who said the president is “extremely disappointed.”