The Kremlin voiced disappointment Wednesday with President Barack Obama�s decision to cancel his Moscow summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said it remains ready to cooperate with the United States on bilateral and international issues.

Putin�s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Obama�s decision reflected America�s inability to develop relations with Moscow on an �equal basis.�

At the same time, he said that the invitation to the U.S. president to visit Moscow next month still stands and added that �Russian representatives are ready to continue working together with American partners on all key issues on the bilateral and multilateral agenda.�

The cancellation of the summit underscores U.S. dismay over Russia�s harboring of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, as well as disagreements on other key issues, such as missile defense and Russia�s human rights record.

Snowden, an NSA systems analyst accused of leaking highly secretive details about the agency�s surveillance programs, first fled from the U.S. to Hong Kong, then made his way to Russia. He was stuck in the transit zone of a Moscow airport for more than a month before Russia granted him asylum last week.

Ushakov reiterated the Kremlin�s argument that Russia had no choice but to offer asylum to Snowden in the absence of a bilateral extradition agreement. Snowden has been given asylum for one year, with the possibility of extension.

�This decision is clearly linked to the situation with former agent of U.S. special services (Edward) Snowden, which hasn�t been created by us,� Ushakov said in a conference call with reporters.

He sought to turn the tables on the U.S., accusing it of stonewalling on Russia�s proposal to sign a bilateral extradition agreement.

�For many years, the Americans have avoided signing an extradition agreement,� he said. �And they have invariably responded negatively to our requests for extradition of people who committed crimes on the territory of Russia, pointing at the absence of such agreement.�

Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled Parliament were less diplomatic.

�If they postpone or cancel meetings over the refusal to extradite one person, international relations will freeze,� ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti. �Obama�s decision is a show of disrespect to Russia.�

Communist Ivan Melnikov said that �Obama�s move has proven that we did everything right.�

�The CIA doesn�t want to be put to shame and look like a loser? It�s their problem,� he said, according to Interfax.

(AP)