From Ridus.ru:
The information about Putin having someone else’s ring in his pocket turned out to be a joke
The Super Bowl ring was donated to Vladimir Putin by billionaire Robert Kraft in 2005. The information that the president took it on his own initiative was just a joke, reports RIA Novosti.
According to a representative of the New England Patriots, it’s a “funny, jokey” story that Kraft likes to retell. “And, as he said back in 2005, he still respects and admires the Russian president, Putin” the agency quotes the club’s representative as saying.
In 2005, having taken part in a meeting with Putin, Kraft gave him a golden Super Bowl ring with diamonds, which American footballers are honoured with. He explained that the valuable gift was in honour of the Russian people and the leadership of president Putin. However, last weekend, Kraft said that he only gave the ring to Putin to try on, and he put it in his pocket and didn’t give it back.
On Sunday, the press secretary of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists that Putin was prepared to buy and send a ring to replace the Super Bowl ring with his own money.
Comments from Ridus.ru:
Балу:
You can’t make jokes like that… This needs to be clarified and put in order. You can’t allow lies like this to spread… you just can’t.
MAXHO:
There’s an element of truth in every joke. As the press secretary of the president of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov confirmed: Putin was prepared to buy and send a ring to replace the Super Bowl ring with his own money”. But doesn’t it smell like an apology, and trying to make good for stealing the ring, or do they always pay for presents?
unas: (responding to above)
No, it smells like an idiot billionaire from the USA, the poor man has suffered for eight years trying to remember whether he gave the ring as a present or whether it was stolen from him. The old donkey was given vodka, so he drank himself silly and can’t remember. So are you drinking vodka too [previous commenter]?
MAXHO: (responding to above)
So maybe he didn’t give it to him, but Putin pridees himself on his knowledge of languages. He probably refused a translator, and his English wasn’t good enough. I think he misunderstood, and is ashamed of it.
wert-8032:
Fairy tales are lies, yes, but there’s an element of truth in them…
Wilson:
Putin is Lord of the Rings!
belyaevyi:
You could tell it was a lie straight away, but it’s interesting how the yanks go back on themselves, they just seem very unoriginal.
Гоги:
A statesman who is not prone to greed accepts goods according to protocol, and gives it over to special security forces, and not stupidly pops it in his pocket.
Myshko:
Are the editors lying? The fact that Kraft likes to tell this story to make people laugh does not at all mean that Putin didn’t steal the ring. Anyone who’d had their ring nicked by the president would tell this as their best story. Kraft is the same. And the club’s representative is simply diplomatically trying to get around the problem.
2013:
“At least he doesn’t drink” (c)