Snowden in transit area at Moscow airport: Putin

HELSINKI, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that fugitive U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden was still in the transit area at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

Saying that Snowden's arrival was completely unexpected, he voiced hope that the case would not impair relations with the United States.

Putin said that he would not turn over Snowden to U.S. authorities because Russia did not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

Snowden arrived at Moscow as a "transit passenger" and was free to go anywhere he chose, Putin told a press conference following a meeting with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto.

However, he expressed his hope that Snowden would soon find a destination to leave for.

Putin arrived in western Finnish city of Turku on Tuesday on an official visit.

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