Putin mocks Comey, says he is welcome to seek asylum in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a satire remark on fired FBI director saying he is following the footsteps of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and therefore James Comey is welcome to seek asylum in Russia.

"It was "very strange" that the FBI official had leaked details of conversations with Donald Trump, and likened his actions to those of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden."If there is some kind of persecution, we would be ready to offer political asylum to Comey if he is persecuted in the U.S.", The Independent quoted Putin as saying.

Putin said there is a similarity between Comey and Snowden as the former FBI director's decision to leak details of his conversations with Trump to the media had placed him in a vulnerable position and meant he had behaved more like an activist than an FBI chief. Therefore, if Comey is persecuted in United States that we would be ready to offer political asylum to former FBI Director.

The former FBI director was sacked by Donald Trump last month over what the U.S. President said were issues relating to the investigation over alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Comey stated in his testimony before a congressional panel that President Donald Trump fired him in an attempt to undermine the investigations into possible collusion between his 2016 presidential campaign team and Russia.

Comey further said that Trump administration had told lies and defamed him and the FBI after the president dismissed him on May 9.

The President dismissed Comey as "a showboat," "a grandstander" and a "nut job." He told Russian diplomats the next day that Comey's exit had relieved "great pressure

Comey has claimed Trump had suggested to drop an investigation into alleged links between Russia and Michael Flynn, the President's former national security adviser who was forced to resign for misleading senior officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, over his talks with Russian envoy .