MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country had never extradited anyone before and added that US leaker Edward Snowden could remain in Moscow if he stopped issuing his leaks.

"Russia never hands over anybody anywhere and has no intention to do so," President Putin told a news conference in Moscow.

"If he (Snowden) wants to remain here there is one condition - he should stop his work aimed at inflicting damage on our American partners no matter how strange this may sound coming from me."