Edward Snowden is believed to remain in a transit area of a Moscow airport one week after leaving Hong Kong. On Saturday, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said Vice President Joe Biden called him to urge a rejection of Snowden’s asylum bid.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa: “What a difference between Vice President Biden and those poorly raised congressmen and senators threatening the country. It was a very friendly, even cordial, conversation. Of course we discussed the topic of Snowden, for which he communicated a very courteous request from the United States that we reject asylum. I told him what the Ecuadorean position is. Vice President, thank you for your call. We very much appreciate the United States. We have not gone in search of this situation. We are not anti-U.S., which is what certain negative-thinking members of the media have said.”

On Sunday, Correa followed up by saying Russia is now in control of Snowden’s fate. Despite rumors his government issued Snowden a special travel document, Correa says his government can’t process Snowden’s asylum bid until he reaches Ecuador or one of its embassies. In a public message to Snowden, Correa also urged the whistleblower to “keep your spirits high,” adding: “knowing that you acted in accord with your conscience can give you peace.”