US Secretary of State John Kerry has said it would be "disappointing" if Russia and China had helped US fugitive Edward Snowden evade US attempts to extradite him from Hong Kong.
Speaking during a visit to India, Mr Kerry said there would inevitably be "consequences" to such a move.
Mr Snowden flew out of Hong Kong to Moscow on Sunday.
He was thought to have flown to Cuba, but Ecuador's foreign minister has since implied he was still in Russia.
Speaking during a visit to Vietnam, Ricardo Patino said Ecuador had maintained "respectful and diplomatic contacts" with the Russian government so Moscow can "make the decision it feels is most convenient in accordance with its laws and politics and in accordance with the international laws and norms that could be applied to this case".
However, when asked whether he knew of Mr Snowden's current location he declined to answer.
Mr Patino confirmed that Ecuador was processing an asylum request from Mr Snowden, and read out the letter the fugitive had sent to President Rafael Correa in which he said he was "at risk of being persecuted by the US and its agents".
Defending the decision to consider Mr Snowden's request, Mr Patino said his country puts human rights "above any other interest that may be discussed or any other pressure it may be subjected to".
'Effect and impact'Mr Snowden is wanted by the US for revealing to the media details of a secret government surveillance programme, which he obtained while briefly working as an IT contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA).
The 30-year-old been charged in the US with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence.
The Hong Kong authorities have said he left the territory voluntarily, and that US extradition papers were incomplete so there was no legal reason to prevent his departure.
But Albert Ho, his lawyer in Hong Kong, told the BBC that a government official urged Mr Snowden to go over the weekend. Mr Ho said he believed the official was acting on the orders of the Beijing government.
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Passenger on flight SU213: "It's strange, because they were getting luggage straight from the airplane and putting it into the car"
Mr Kerry told reporters in Delhi it would "be obviously disappointing if he was wilfully allowed to board an airplane".
"As a result there would be without any question some effect and impact on the relationship and consequences."
Mr Snowden's exact whereabouts are currently unclear - he is believed to have spent the night in a hotel at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.
The US has revoked his passport and wants Russia to hand him over before he leaves Russian soil.
Mr Kerry urged Moscow to "live by the standards of the law because that's in the interests of everybody".
"In the last two years we have transferred seven prisoners to Russia that they wanted so I think reciprocity and the enforcement of the law is pretty important," he said.
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Hawaii
20 May: Snowden flies from Hawaii to Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
5 June: From Hong Kong, Snowden discloses details of what he describes as a vast US phone and internet surveillance programme to the UK's Guardian newspaper.
Moscow
23 June: Snowden leaves Hong Kong on a flight to Moscow.
Cuba
From Moscow, Snowden could fly to Cuba, en route to Ecuador, which has said it is "analysing" whether to grant him asylum.
Venezuela
Venezuela had also been considered a possible destination for Snowden, however it is thought he would only pass through on his way to Ecuador.
Ecuador
Snowden is reported to have requested asylum in Ecuador, which previously granted haven to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in its London embassy.
Reports had suggested Mr Snowden would fly to the Cuban capital, Havana, before taking an onward to flight, possibly to Ecuador.
The first plane scheduled to fly to Havana left Sheremetyevo at 14:05 Moscow time (10:05 GMT), but journalists on board said he had not been seen.
'Litany of lies'Ecuador is already giving political asylum to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who has been sheltering in its London embassy for the past year.
Wikileaks is now supporting Mr Snowden and said in a statement that he was "bound for the Republic of Ecuador via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisers from Wikileaks".
Who is Edward Snowden?
- Age 30, grew up in North Carolina
- Joined army reserves in 2004, discharged four months later, says the Guardian
- First job at National Security Agency was as security guard
- Worked on IT security at the CIA
- Left CIA in 2009 for contract work at NSA for various firms including Booz Allen
- Called himself Verax, Latin for "speaking the truth", in exchanges with the Washington Post
Although the US and Ecuador have a joint extradition treaty, it is not applicable to "crimes or offences of a political character".
Mr Snowden left his home in Hawaii after leaking details of his work at the NSA and US surveillance tactics to the UK's Guardian newspaper and the Washington Post.
His leaks have led to revelations that the US is systematically seizing vast amounts of phone and web data under an NSA programme known as Prism.
He has previously said had decided to speak out after observing "a continuing litany of lies" from senior officials to Congress.
Each of the charges he faces carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
The Obama administration is desperate to get its hands on Mr Snowden before he reveals any more secrets, says the BBC's Paul Adams in Washington.
US officials have defended the practice of gathering telephone and internet data from private users around the world.
They say Prism cannot be used to intentionally target any Americans or anyone in the US, and that it is supervised by judges.
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