Russia grants political asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden so we discuss relations between Russia and the United States with The Nation Magazine’s Russia correspondent Alec Luhn who talks to us from Moscow. Also June Foray, Paul Dooley, Mark Thompson and Rick Overton.

The G20 summit meeting is scheduled for next month in St. Petersburg, Russia. But now that Edward Snowden has been granted political asylum, President Obama is said to be reconsidering his visit to Russia, especially a planned summit with President Vladimir Putin.

Why did Putin grant asylum to Snowden, and what is the relationship between Snowden and Russia’s secret police?

After nearly 25 years of calm between the two nations, where are the potential flashpoints on the world stage between the United States and Russia?

Also, next year Russia hosts the Winter Olympics while enforcing some of its toughest laws against their LGBT community in recent memory. Much of the world’s LGBT community calls for a boycott on Stolichnaya vodka. Should they also be calling for a boycott of the Winter Olympics? What’s in store for LGBT athletes when they gather next winter to compete in Russia?

We go to Moscow to talk about all this and much more with The Nation Magazine’s Russia correspondent Alec Luhn from Moscow. One note, our conversation was conducted only hours before Russia granted Edward Snowden political asylum.

Guy Nicolucci and David Feldman have written portions of today’s program.

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