Fugitive Edward Snowden dropped his request for a political asylum in Russia as he refused the Russian president’s request to stop any activity damaging to the United States.

Fugitive Edward Snowden dropped his request for a political asylum in Russia as he refused the Russian president's request to stop any activity damaging to the United States.

“Snowden has abandoned his request for permission to stay in Russia,” Dmitri Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, told Interfax and other reporters Tuesday.

Peskov asserted that Russia would not return Snowden to his country where he was charged with leaking classified documents.

“The extradition of Snowden to the U.S. which applies the death penalty is impossible,” he said.

Snowden had submitted asylum requests to 21 nations including India, Russia, China and Brazil as well as his preferred destinations Ecuador and Iceland.

China has not commented on Snowden's issue yet.

"I've seen some reports of his petition for political asylum in some countries but I have no information about that," Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry, said.

India and Poland further refused providing Snowden with a political asylum.

Norway, Austria and Poland were among the first to confirm they had received asylum requests from Snowden.