Fugitive US whistleblower Edward Snowden has decided to become US-Russian citizen. On Monday, he said that he has applied for Russian citizenship but would keep his US nationality, AFP reported.

The former American intelligence contractor, who exposed in 2013 that the US government was spying on its citizens, has been living in exile in Russia since the revelations.

He tweeted, “After years of separation from our parents, my wife and I have no desire to be separated from our son.” The 37-year-old said that “in this era of pandemics and closed borders, we’re applying for dual US-Russian citizenship”.

His tweet comes weeks after he was allowed permanent residency rights in the country, permitting him to avoid returning to the United States where he faces criminal charges for violating the Espionage Act, and also just days after his partner Lindsay Mills declared she was pregnant.

The former US contractor is wanted in the US on espionage charges after he disclosed the information proving that agents from the National Security Agency (NSA) were collecting telephone records from millions of US citizens.

Starting October 12, Moscow simplified its strict citizenship laws to allow individuals to hold Russian passports without dismissing their original nationalities.

In the short thread, Snowden focused that he and Mills would “remain Americans, raising our son with all the values of the America we love — including the freedom to speak his mind.”

Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump said he would “take a look” at pardoning Snowden but has not made further remarks on the matter.

Moreover, A 2015 petition calling on then-President Barack Obama to pardon the whistleblower was dismissed by the White House.