The White House says it wants "clarity" from Russia on the status of fugitive whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Earlier today it was reported he had been given a document allowing him to leave the transit zone of a Moscow airport. However his lawyer says the case is still undecided and he will remain at the airport for the time being.

Snowden has been holed up in the transit area of Sheremetyevo Airport for a month.

The whistleblower is wanted by the US for leaking information about government surveillance programmes. It was earlier reported that he would be able to show a document to passport control officials and leave the airport.

The 30-year-old had been considering going to South America but has put that move on hold. Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua have all said they would grant him political asylum but none is reachable by direct commercial flight from Moscow.

Snowden leaked details of top-secret US surveillance programmes - giving details of the monitoring of phone calls and internet data from companies such as Google and Facebook - to The Guardian and Washington Post.

He now faces espionage charges in America.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, mindful of the country's strained relations with the US, has said Snowden can only be granted asylum if he stops leaking secrets.