Fugitive ... Snowden has been in Russia for over a year reportedly living at an undisclosed location with his American girlfriend. Picture: Getty Images Source: Getty Images

WikiLeaks staffer Sarah Harrison says the Russian FSB intelligence security service approached Snowden while he was stuck in the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for six weeks in 2013.

At the time, Snowden was unable to enter Russia or fly elsewhere because his passport had been cancelled by US authorities seeking to arrest him for leaking secret documents.

Harrison told German filmmakers in a documentary airing on Monday that the FSB asked only once, and he “didn’t give anything to the Russians at all”.

Snowden has been in Russia for over a year reportedly living at an undisclosed location with his American girlfriend, who moved there to be with him.

Ally ... Edward Snowden alongside Sarah Harrison during a meeting with rights activists. Picture: Tanya Lokshina/Human Rights Watch Source: AFP

Despite Harrison’s claims others are more sceptical about Snowden’s involvement with Russian intelligence agencies.

Jack Devine, a former director of CIA operations, told Business Insider that it would be “most unusual” if the former NSA contractor was allowed to stay in Russia without divulging information about US spying operations.

“The Russians have been doing espionage for a long time,” Mr Devine said. “They understand the psychology of discontented people.”

Snowden himself has insisted he is happy in Russia telling US radio PBS that “Russia’s great” and denying claims from former NSA and CIA director Michael Hayden that he would go the way of other defectors to Russia, becoming isolated, depressed and drunk.