The spotlight-grabbing international travel — just as Obama seeks to focus attention on his Tuesday climate change speech and a week-long trip to Africa that begins Wednesday — is sure to keep Snowden’s own story atop the headlines, highlighting the White House’s relative powerlessness to bring him back to face charges.

There’s no telling when the stream of stories drawn from his leaks will end, or what his host countries might decide to do with the information he carries, should he share it with them.

And there’s no spinning away the story of Snowden’s continued freedom: Obama and his administration couldn’t talk Hong Kong and China into extraditing Snowden before he left the Chinese protectorate, and have minimal sway with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“There’s not a whole lot I can say except that this is both a head-snapper and an eye-roller for the U.S. and for American officials — including the highest level one — who have been trying to work with Russia,” said Strobe Talbott, a former deputy Secretary of State. “Putin personally, and his government, are not sorry to have opportunities to tweak the U.S.”