FILE - In this June 25, 2005, file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring belonging to New England Patriots NFL football team owner Robert Kraft during a meeting of American business executives at the 18th century Konstantin Palace outside St. Petersburg, Russia. When Putin arrived in London on Sunday, June 16, 2013, his spokesman was asked about a New York Post story quoting Kraft saying Putin pocketed his Super Bowl ring in 2005. Putin said he?s happy to buy New England Patriots? owner Robert Kraft another ring, but it?s absurd to suggest he stole the Super Bowl one. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
FILE - In this June 25, 2005, file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring belonging to New England Patriots NFL football team owner Robert Kraft during a meeting of American business executives at the 18th century Konstantin Palace outside St. Petersburg, Russia. When Putin arrived in London on Sunday, June 16, 2013, his spokesman was asked about a New York Post story quoting Kraft saying Putin pocketed his Super Bowl ring in 2005. Putin said he?s happy to buy New England Patriots? owner Robert Kraft another ring, but it?s absurd to suggest he stole the Super Bowl one. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
British Prime Minister David Cameron, right, leaves with Russian President Vladimir Putin after a press conference at 10 Downing Street, London, Sunday June 16, 2013. Cameron meets with Russian President Putin for talks on the Syrian crisis amid fears that differences between Moscow and the West are pushing the two sides towards a new Cold War. (AP/Anthony Devlin, PA Wire) UK OUT - NO SALES - NO ARCHIVES
Russian President Vladimir Putin works together with Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, not pictured, to award Russian Ushakov medals to Arctic Convoy Veterans, during a ceremony inside No 10 Downing street in London, Sunday June 16, 2013. The Russian Ushakov medals were awarded as a symbol to show Russia's gratitude to the brave survivors of the Arctic convoys who battled storms, bombers and U-boats to ferry war supplies to Russia as they were fighting the Nazis during the second World War. (AP Photo / Anthony Devlin)
LONDON (AP) ? Russian President Vladimir Putin is denying insinuations that he stole New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's Super Bowl ring that's on display in the Kremlin, but says he's ready to buy him another ring as a gift.
Putin was reacting Sunday through a spokesman to a New York Post story quoting remarks made by Kraft at an awards gala at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel last Thursday.
"I took out the ring and showed it to (Putin). And he put it on and he goes, 'I can kill someone with this ring,'" Kraft said, as quoted by the Post. "I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out."
The diamond-encrusted Super Bowl ring worth about $25,000 changed hands while Kraft was visiting St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2005 with an American business delegation that met Putin. At the time, Kraft had said he gave the ring to Putin as a gift.
But the Post story quoted Kraft as saying at Carnegie Hall's Medal of Excellence gala that he had an "emotional tie to the ring" and wanted it back, but the White House intervened and said it would be in the interest of U.S.-Russian relations to claim it was a gift.
Putin arrived in London on Sunday to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was asked about the Post story.
"Back in 2005 I stood behind the president's back and I saw how that ring was presented to him. All that talk about some kind of pressure that was exerted on him (Kraft) should be the subject of a detailed talk with psychoanalysts, I think," Peskov told The Associated Press.
"At the same time, I am aware that this gentleman (Kraft) is feeling such a horrible pain about the 2005 loss," Peskov said. "The president will be ready to send him another ring as a gift, which he (Putin) can buy with his own money."
Stacey James, a spokesperson for the Kraft Group, the holding company for Kraft's business ventures, including the Patriots, said Sunday that the Post article shouldn't be taken too seriously.
"It's a humorous, anecdotal story that Robert retells for laughs," James said in a statement. "He loves that his ring is at the Kremlin, and, as he stated back in 2005, he continues to have great respect for Russia and the leadership of President Putin. In particular, he credits President Putin for modernizing the Russian economy. "
The statement said "an added benefit from the attention this story gathered eight years ago was the creation of some Patriots fan clubs in Russia."
The Super Bowl ring is on display in the Kremlin library along with other gifts to the Russian leader, according to Peskov.
Kraft can take some consolation because he has two other Super Bowl rings given to him for his team's other NFL championships.
___
Associated Press writer Thomas Wagner in London and Associated Press sports writer Howard Ulman in Boston contributed to this report.
Associated Pressmiguel Ultra Music Festival london Eva Longoria Wardrobe Malfunction snl drake NBA Draft 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.