Please share with us what countries you think it's safe to be in when you are the #1 target of the US government. El Chapo's hundreds of millions/billions? in payoffs couldn't protect him so you must have some really amazing places in mind.

If I exposed sources and methods i'd goto Moscow too. I'm not saying what he did was stupid, quite the opposite. To save himself from a prison cell and trial he did exactly the right thing. I'm saying lets not pretend he's anything but a defector who didn't want to risk a punishment for what he decided needed to be done.

agent and under protection are two different things.

technically no, an agent is a foreign asset.

Facts getting downvoted. This place has become Reddit with even more blind arrogance.

Myth 2: The men and women who work for the CIA are spies and agents

Citizens who work for the CIA are officers – not agents or spies. All employees, from operations officers, to analysts, to librarians and public affairs, are considered CIA officers.

So, who is a CIA agent? Our operations officers recruit well-placed human assets with access to information. These spies are agents. They provide critical information about their country to help America. Operations officers are CIA employees who spot, recruit, and handle foreign agents. They are experts in understanding human nature, emotions, intentions, and motivations.

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/...

If, in your own words, “I don't think the Kremlin has much use for him anymore tbh”, then the definition you quoted doesn’t fit him being an agent.

> “I don't think the Kremlin has much use for him anymore tbh"

That doesn't mean they'll just let him leave.

> definition you quoted doesn’t fit him being an agent.

A foreign asset is an agent. FBI calls their employees "agents", the intel community does not.

Your description denies that Snowden is an asset.

Care to hypothesise what those rules might be? Because he does criticise the Russian government openly and often, so he certainly doesn’t look like a pawn, even if Putin is playing metaphorical chess against the whole world.

That's a very good question i've thought about as well. I don't think the Kremlin has much use for him anymore tbh, but they aren't going to hand him over either without getting anything in return. He's too much of a PR gift.

> Because he does criticise the Russian government openly and often

He is careful in what he says, and makes sure not to question the levers of power Putin has (elections, policy state, etc.). I have no doubt he has been given clear guidelines of what to avoid saying, as he is living by the good graces of the Kremlin now.