Poor Putin... He envies Obama!

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MOSCOW - Yes, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that he envied his counterpart, US President Barack Obama. He stated that during an annual press conference on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013.

Putin spoke about fugitive leaker Edward Snowden’s NSA revelations and admitted he was jealous of President Obama’s spying impunity. “I envy him because he can do something like this and get away with it,” he said, quoted by The Telegraph.

As for snowden, Putin said he did not personally know him.

"I have never met him. He has his own views about life, about what he should do and how. I won't hide it that he seems very interesting to me," said Putin (61 years) adding that Russian intelligence agencies had not made contact with Snowden.

Documents leaked by Snowden have revealed details of widespread surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA) and ignited a furore over the agency's spying. Yet, Putin defended espionage in general.

He called it "one of the oldest professions in the world, just like some other well-known -- we won't mention them here," as quoted by USA Today.

Snowden is living in Russia under temporary asylum that is due to expire in August. On Tuesday (December 17) the former NSA contractor made a case for asylum in Brazil, a request he has previously made but which remains unanswered. In "An Open Letter to the Brazilian People," published by newspaper Folha De S. Paulo, Snowden said he would like to assist in a congressional probe into the NSA's spying programme, which monitored the personal communications of President Dilma Rousseff and other Brazilians.