Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said President Barack Obama was "absolutely right" to cancel a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the country's government granted Edward Snowden a year's asylum.
“The president is absolutely right not to go to Moscow for a bilateral conversation with Putin. There’s nothing to talk about,” Rice told “CBS This Morning” in an interview that aired Friday. “And the slap in the face to the United States of America, of giving asylum to Edward Snowden, the president absolutely cannot go to a bilateral conversation with Vladimir Putin.”
Spokesman Jay Carney said the White House is "extremely disappointed" that Russia granted Snowden asylum on August 1. Obama's meeting with Putin was canceled August 7.
Obama spoke out against Snowden during a Friday press conference, where he proposed new surveillance reforms amid growing concerns over surveillance.
"No, I don't think Mr. Snowden was a patriot," Obama said. "The fact is, Mr. Snowden has been charged with three felonies."
According to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll, most Americans consider Russia to be unfriendly to the U.S., but are divided over Obama's decision to cancel his meeting with Putin.
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