Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. sent a letter to Russia, affirming that Edward Snowden would not be given a death sentence if he tries to enter the U.S. Mr. Holder Jr. also said that a passport would be issued right away so that he could fly back to the U.S.

Snowden is seeking asylum because he was linked to leaking sensitive information while working as a contractor at the National Securities Agecy.

“We believe these assurances eliminate these asserted grounds for Mr. Snowden’s claim that he should be treated as a refugee or granted asylum, temporary or otherwise,” The New York Times reported Holder Jr. as saying.

According to news reports, Snowden had sought asylum in about twenty countries and was close to accepting one from Velenzuela, Bolivia and other Latin American countries. He became trapped in Moscow since he did not have the necessary papers to travel to a Latin American country.

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin had said that the U.S. had gotten itself into an awkward shape, where Mr. Snowden had become immobile.

Holder assured the Russian minister of justice that Snowden would not get the 'death penalty' even if had committed crimes that were punishable by a death pealty.

“Despite the revocation of his passport on June 22, 2013, Mr. Snowden remains a U.S. citizen,” said Mr. Holder, adding, “he is eligible for a limited validity passport good for direct return to the United States."

Mr. Holder told reporters "The United States is willing to immediately issue such a passport to Mr. Snowden.”

However, Dmitri S. Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin said that there was not existing treaty between Russia and the U.S. Without an extradition treaty on hand, the two countries could not make a deal over Snowden.

Peskov said in a statement, “We have never surrendered anyone,” and “we will never do so in the future,” reports by the Interfax news agency.