MOSCOW - Father of the fugitive US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden arrived Thursday in Moscow, local television said.

Lon Snowden arrived early morning at the Sheremetyevo international airport, where his son had been trapped in the transit area for more than a month before receiving a temporary asylum.

Lon told reporters he felt "extreme gratitude that my son is safe and secure and he is free," though he had no direct contact with Edward.

Meanwhile, the father said he was not sure that Snowden could ever return to the United States, where he faces espionage charges over disclosing a classified intelligence surveillance project.