MOSCOW—Fugitive former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden's father arrived in Moscow to a media maelstrom Thursday, and said he believed his son is prepared to remain in Russia for the long haul with no intention of returning to America.

Fugitive former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden's father arrived in Moscow to a media maelstrom Thursday, and said he believed his son is prepared to remain in Russia for the long haul with no intention of returning to the U.S. Lukas Alpert reports.

Lon Snowden was met by a crush of television reporters outside the VIP hall of Sheremetyevo Airport shortly after arriving from New York aboard Aeroflot Flight No. 101 early Thursday morning and said he wanted to see his son as soon as possible.

In a handout photo from Sunshine Press, which is affiliated with WikiLeaks, Edward Snowden, third from right, receives the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence Award. He is pictured with U.K. WikiLeaks activist Sarah Harrison, third from left, and the U.S. government whistleblowers who presented the award. From left to right Coleen Rowley (FBI), Thomas Drake (NSA), Jesselyn Raddack (DOJ) and Ray McGovern (CIA) on Wednesday in Moscow. SunshinePress/Getty Images

"I hope to learn more about his circumstances and his health and to discuss legal options," he said, with his son's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena, standing at his side. "I am not sure my son will be returning to the U.S., but that is his decision. He is an adult. I cannot speak for my son."

Mr. Kucherena, who has served as the younger Mr. Snowden's go-between with reporters since he arrived in Russia, said he would try to arrange a meeting between the father and son later Thursday afternoon at a secret location.

The elder Mr. Snowden had said he hoped to avoid a media circus when he arrived in Russia, but was whisked to the studio of the country's state-run 24-hour news channel where he and Mr. Kucherena gave a live interview that lasted for the better part of an hour.

Mr. Snowden, looking tired from the nine-hour overnight flight, said he had traveled on a multiple-entry visa and intended to return to Russia as he expected his son wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"I hope to come to Russia many times. I do think my son, even though he hasn't told me this yet, will remain in Russia," he said in the interview aired on Rossiya-24, during which the program's anchor referred to the younger Mr. Snowden as a "hero."

Later on Thursday, a group of well-known American whistleblowers and antisecrecy advocates appeared on Russia's state-run English language news channel RT, to announce that they had held a secret meeting with Edward Snowden in Russia on Wednesday to give him an award for "truth telling."

"He's made his peace with what he did. He's convinced that what he did was right. He has no regrets and he is ready to face whatever the future holds for him," said Ray McGovern, a former officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who has become a political activist.

Mr. Kucherena, who enjoys close ties with the Kremlin and Russia's security service, said that the admitted leaker of top-secret U.S. surveillance programs has received numerous job offers in Russia, where he has been granted temporary political asylum, and is close to making a decision between working in information technology or on human rights. He also said Mr. Snowden has been working hard to learn Russian.

Pavel Durov, the founder of Russian social-media website VKontakte, had publicly offered Mr. Snowden a job shortly after his arrival, and said Thursday that he was still ready to hire him.

"There was an offer and it still stands," he said, adding that he hadn't yet heard back from Mr. Snowden or his lawyer. "I think that first and foremost his opinion will be of importance. What tasks interests him, what kind of work schedule suits him."

Mr. Kucherena said that Mr. Snowden, who has been in hiding at an undisclosed location in Russia since being granted temporary political asylum on Aug. 1, remains under a significant security threat and noted that five cars had followed the vehicle carrying the elder Mr. Snowden from the airport.

"It is not good for the American government for the truth to come out," Mr. Kucherena said.

The elder Mr. Snowden had been planning the trip to Russia since his son received asylum, but the journey was repeatedly delayed because of what he described as security concerns. Mr. Kucherena has said while his client lives under heavy guard, he is able to walk freely in the streets in disguise.

Lon Snowden, a retired Coast Guard officer from Allentown, Pa., said he had been in regular contact with Mr. Kucherena before the trip but hasn't had direct contact with his son since April. Mr. Snowden said he was "extremely thankful" to Mr. Kucherena and Russian President Vladimir Putin for helping his son.

The 30-year-old former National Security Agency contractor had spent more than five weeks in the transit zone at Sheremetyevo Airport before being granted permission to leave by the Russian government. He had arrived there from Hong Kong, which he fled after U.S. authorities unsealed espionage charges in late June. He had initially planned to travel to Ecuador where he had been offered asylum, but remained marooned in Moscow after the U.S. voided his passport.

Mr. Snowden applied for asylum in more than 20 countries after becoming stuck in Russia, but eventually decided to remain where he was as it became impossible for him to travel anywhere else. Mr. Kucherena said Thursday that his client was unable to continue applying for asylum in other countries under the terms of his asylum in Russia, which he had the option of extending at the end of the one-year period.

The idea that Mr. Snowden may remain in Russia suggests the Russian government is committed to protecting him from the American justice system despite the fact that granting him asylum caused a considerable spike in tension between the two countries and led U.S. President Barack Obama to cancel a summit meeting with President Putin in September.

Mr. Putin had initially said that Mr. Snowden's arrival in Moscow had come as a "complete surprise" to the Russian government, but later said the fugitive had contacted Russian diplomats in Hong Kong days before his departure to ask for help.

Mr. Putin said he only agreed to allow Mr. Snowden to remain in Russia after he arrived on the condition that he cease leaking information damaging to the U.S.

—Olga Razumovskaya contributed to this article.

Write to Lukas I. Alpert at