So don't pardon Snowden. Commute the charges against him. Like 97% of the cases that go to prosecution in this country, let him plea to a lesser crime and serve a 10 year sentence, minus time served in Russia.
There is no extradition request to the U.S., so when fighting an extradition to U.S., Snowden is beating a straw man.
Commutation is reduction of sentence, it can only happen after conviction.
> Like 97% of the cases that go to prosecution in this country, let him plea to a lesser crime
Is there any indication that Snowden has any interest in pleading guilty to anything?