Edward Snowden’s right to asylum in Russia has been extended for a further three years and he will soon be eligible to apply for Russian citizenship, his lawyer has said.

The Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday that the former National Security Agency contractor’s temporary residence permit had been extended, but said it did not know whether Mr Snowden planned to stay in Russia or return to the United States following the release of Chelsea Manning.

“That is not a question for the Kremlin and we do not have any information about what Mr Snowden will do,” Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, said.