Edward Snowden checked out of the Mira Hotel , Hong Kong , on Monday
A spokesman for the Russian president Vladimir Putin has said Moscow would be open to an approach from Mr Snowden .
Asked if asylum would be granted , Dmitry Peskov told Reuters : " It is impossible ( to say ) now . No one has applied yet . If he says : I request ( political asylum ), then we will consider it ."
Mr Snowden told The Guardian his sole motive for leaking the documents was " to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them ".
He said he was willing to sacrifice a comfortable life " because I can ' t in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy , internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they ' re secretly building ".
Unsurprisingly , he paid for his principles on Tuesday with his employer Booz Allen confirming he had been fired from his $ 122k job " for violations of the firm ' s code of ethics ".
The Hong Kong-US extradition treaty , which allows for the exchange of criminal suspects in a formal process that also may involve the Chinese government , came into effect in 1998 .
It says that authorities can hold a US suspect for up to 60 days after the United States submits a request indicating there is probable cause to believe the suspect violated US law .
In Mr Snowden ' s case , such a request could lead Hong Kong authorities to hold him while Washington prepares a formal extradition request .
His revelations have sent shockwaves across Washington , where several lawmakers called for the extradition and prosecution of the ex-CIA employee .
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