MOSCOW — In a high-profile spectacle that had the hallmarks of a Kremlin-approved event, Edward Snowden, the fugitive U.S. intelligence contractor, broke his silence after three weeks of seclusion Friday, telling a handpicked group of Russian public figures that he hoped to receive political asylum in Russia.

The guests, several of them closely aligned with President Vladimir Putin, were invited through a mysterious email that many had thought was fake and then swept past passport control into the restricted border zone where Snowden has been confined since his arrival June 23.

When they emerged, it appeared more likely that Snowden would be granted his wish and remain in Russia as he waits for conditions that would allow him to travel safely to Latin America, where three countries have offered him asylum.

The Kremlin has laid some groundwork for holding Snowden on a more permanent basis. Ten days ago, perhaps in an attempt to limit damage to the bilateral relationship, Putin said Snowden could stay only if he agreed to “cease his work aimed at inflicting damage on our American partners.”

On Friday evening, President Barack Obama talked to Putin by phone in their first conversation since Snowden arrived in Moscow. The White House offered no details about the call, other than to issue a statement saying the two had discussed “the status of Mr. Edward Snowden” and issues like counterterrorism and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Earlier Friday, Putin’s spokesman reiterated the Russian president’s previous offer, and human rights figures who participated in the airport event reported that Snowden said he accepted the conditions. But Snowden has said on numerous occasions that he did not think his disclosures had hurt U.S. interests, and it remained unclear whether he planned to continue leaking classified documents.