Moscow (CNN) - Ex-National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has asked for asylum in Ecuador, the South American country's foreign ministry announced Sunday as the United States urged countries to rebuff the leaker.

Snowden's story took a dramatic turn Sunday when he flew from Hong Kong to Moscow, aided by the international anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. The group reported that Snowden had touched down in Moscow, and CNN spotted a car with diplomatic plates and an Ecuadorian flag at Moscow's international airport.