The Kremlin says it is “disappointed” US President Barack Obama cancelled bilateral talks with Vladimir Putin which were to take place on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg next month.

The American president is still planning to attend the G20, but won’t sit down one-to-one with Putin after Russia granted asylum to Edward Snowden, the fugitive US intelligence leaker.

The Kremlin insists Russia is not to blame for the Snowden situation.

“For many years, the Americans have avoided signing an extradition agreement,” said Russian foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, “And they have invariably responded negatively to our requests for extradition of people who committed crimes on the territory of Russia, pointing at the absence of such agreement.”

President Obama also cited Russia’s deteriorating human rights record in an earlier appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

“I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them,” he said referring to Russia’s new set of anti-LGBT laws and reports of rampant gay bashing.