BBC News - Edward Snowden has not entered Russia - Sergei Lavrov 25 June 2013 Last updated at 14:29 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: "He did not cross the Russian border" Russia says it has had no involvement in the travel plans of fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. His whereabouts are unclear after he flew from Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday. His passport has been revoked. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted Mr Snowden had not crossed the border and rejected what he termed US attempts to blame Russia for his disappearance. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US did not seek "confrontation" but Russia should hand over Mr Snowden. Correspondents say Mr Lavrov's comments suggest that Mr Snowden remained air-side after landing at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, and so has technically never entered Russian territory. "We are in no way involved with either Mr Snowden, his relations with US justice, nor to his movements around the world," Mr Lavrov said. He chose his itinerary on his own. We learnt about it... from the media. He has not crossed the Russian border. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's assertion that the fugitive American "hasn't crossed the Russian border" may well be technically correct - Edward Snowden may. for all we know, remain "in transit" at the hotel, air-side, at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport. But it is hard to believe that the Russians are not exploring what information they can get from Mr Snowden, if any. He is at the very least a potential intelligence gift horse that has almost literally dropped into their laps. Mr Lavrov was clearly irked by US pressure, saying that attempts to accuse the Russian side of flouting US laws were "unjustified and unacceptable." Moscow's annoyance is mirrored by Beijing. As yet it is still too early to say what long-term damage this affair may do to China and Russia's relations with Washington. But the US-Russia relationship in particular could get seriously strained the longer this saga goes on. We consider the attempts to accuse the Russian side of violating US laws, and practically of involvement in a plot, to be absolutely groundless and unacceptable. Speaking during a visit to Saudi Arabia, Mr Kerry said the transfer of Mr Snowden was a matter of rule of law, and that Russia should remain "calm." Mr Snowden has applied for asylum in Ecuador. The US has revoked his passport. Reuters news agency quotes a Moscow airport source as saying that Mr Snowden arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon and was due to depart for the Cuban capital, Havana, the following day, but did not use the ticket. The source said he was travelling with Sarah Harrison, a British legal researcher working for the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks. Meanwhile, China has also described US accusations that it facilitated the departure of fugitive Edward Snowden from Hong Kong as "groundless and unacceptable." A foreign ministry spokeswoman said the Hong Kong government had handled the former US intelligence officer's case in accordance with the law. He is currently thought to remain airside at Sheremetyevo airport. The White House had criticised what it termed "a deliberate choice to release a fugitive despite a valid arrest warrant." Sanctimonious mask The Chinese government has expressed deep concern about Mr Snowden's allegations that the US had hacked into networks in China. Tuesday saw the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party praise Mr Snowden for "tearing off Washington's sanctimonious mask." 24 June - Mr Snowden is believed to be in Russia; Moscow says it is studying a US extradition request In a strongly worded front-page commentary, the overseas edition of the People's Daily said: "Not only did the US authorities not give us an explanation and apology, it instead expressed dissatisfaction at the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for handling things in accordance with law. In a sense, the United States has gone from a 'model of human rights' to 'an eavesdropper on personal privacy', the 'manipulator' of the centralised power over the international internet, and the mad 'invader' of other countries' networks. Speaking during a visit to India, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it would be "deeply troubling" if it became clear that China had "wilfully" allowed him to fly out of Hong Kong. Journalists look for Mr Snowden on board a flight to Havana, however, his seat is left empty as Julie Peacock reports He is being supported by the whistleblowing website Wikileaks, which said on Sunday that he was heading to Ecuador accompanied by some of its diplomats and legal advisers. They say Prism cannot be used to target intentionally any Americans or anyone in the US, and stress that it is supervised by judges.