Snowden calls Russian spy claim 'absurd'

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has reportedly denied the claims made by US lawmakers that he was a Russian spy and called them 'absurd'.

Snowden, in his interview with the New Yorker's Jane Mayer, denied accusations of collaborating with Russian authorities to leak the highly classified trove of data related to the US' alleged mass surveillance programmes.

According to the Huffington Post, House Intelligence Committee chair Rep. Mike Rogers had alleged that Snowden was aided by a 'foreign power' that helped him obtain the documents.

Backing Rogers' statement was Rep. Michael McCaul, a top member on the House's Homeland Security Committee, who also raised questions about Snowden's foreign entanglements.

However, the former NSA contractor insisted that he clearly and unambiguously acted alone, with no assistance from anyone, much less a government.

He further said that the allegations levied against him are clearly false, adding that the American people are smarter than politicians think they are.

Snowden pointed to his almost six weeks of stay at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport as evidence that he had worked alone and said that spies are treated better than that.

He had denied having worked for the Chinese government in July, claiming that had he been a Chinese spy, why wouldn't he have flown directly into Beijing.

The whistleblower has been charged with espionage by the US for leaking details of the mass surveillance programmes that upset US' ties with its allies, and is currently under temporary asylum offered by Russia.