This is the interpretation I choose to believe, until I see any proof to the contrary. Ultimately his whistle-blowing was a good thing.
It could have been win-win
Look at what happens to other whistleblowers destiny.
Whistleblower protections are set up in such a way as to protect the whistleblower. This means you don't hear about a majority of whistleblowers.
We can agree to disagree since we are ultimately arguing a hypothetical (what would have happened) but I think Snowden should have at least tried to go that route.
It doesn't. His loyalty is unbounded. His honor, however, is open to interpretation.
In his situation, it's not like he's free to write and publish anything he wants.