[uchi]

As they say, you do not bite the hand that feeds you. I doubt Snowden was particularly happy about doing that interview, but considering his circumstances he didn't really have a choice.

[iaskwhy]

Snowden explained it via The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/18/vladimi...

As subtitled, Snowden "questioned the Russian president live on TV to get his answer on the record, not to whitewash him".