London: The UK government has poured cold water on Julian Assange’s hopes he will soon be able to leave the Ecuador embassy behind Harrods where he has spent the last two years.

In a press conference on Monday morning, local time, the WikiLeaks whistleblower said he hoped soon to walk out of the embassy due to legal changes in the UK’s extradition laws.

Julian Assange (right) and Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino. Credit:AP

Under the new laws a judge may bar an extradition request if there has not been a decision to charge or try the subject of the request.

However a Home Office spokeswoman told Fairfax Media the changes had come too late for Mr Assange.