'Relieved' Russia touts Venezuela as 'best sanctuary' for Snowden following asylum offer

Key members of the Russian parliament have given thumbs up to Venezuela's offer of asylum for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Alexei Pushkov, head of the foreign affairs committee of Russia's lower house of parliament, tweeted that sanctuary for Snowden in Venezuela would be the best decision.

Pushkov voiced what appears to be a growing official desire to see Snowden leave the country after 13 days holed up in transit limbo at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

According to the Washington Post, another parliamentary deputy and member of Pushkov's committee, Alexander Babakov, said that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's offer of asylum was Snowden's best recourse.

He also argued that asylum would not cost Venezuela because the country is already in an acute conflict with the United States.

Maduro said he was offering asylum so that the former National Security Agency contractor could live "free of imperial North American persecution," the report said

Venezuela is the first country to offer sanctuary to Snowden.