Almost two decades ago, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft took a trip to Russia after winning Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The victory earned him his third championship ring, which he cherished as it had his name engraved on it. But a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin made him part with it. 

In the past, the alleged story of Vladimir Putin stealing Robert Kraft’s SB ring garnered lots of attention. It even went to where the White House had to intervene to preserve the relationship between the two nations. So what really happened? Did Putin forcefully take it? Or did Kraft mean to give it to him as a gift?

Robert Kraft explains the SB ring scenario with Vladimir Putin 

In a recent episode of the New England Patriots docuseries, The Dynasty, Robert Kraft opens up on his trip to St Petersburg in Russia in 2005. He recounted how he first met Putin during a press conference at Konstantinovsky Palace, whom he described as a “little guy, but frightening figure.” After media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s nudge, Kraft showed his Super Bowl ring to the Russian president, who put it on, looked at him, and said, “I could kill someone with this ring.” 

When he took off the ring, the Patriots owner had his hand out to take it back, but Putin put it into his side pocket and went off with three KGB guys. When Murdoch told him to ask for it back, he said, “Oh, I couldn’t do that.” Kraft explained how this story somehow got the press’s attention and became a global headline that Putin stole Kraft’s ring. The story even got the White House calling Kraft, saying, “it would be good for US-Soviet relations if you meant to give them the ring as a gift.” 

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Although Kraft had emotional ties with the ring, he later had to sacrifice to reveal the public statement that read, “President Putin, a great and knowledgeable sports fan, was clearly taken with its uniqueness. I decided to give him the being as a symbol of the respect and admiration that I have for the Russian people and [his] leadership.” But what happened to the ring, though?

Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl XXXIX ring finds a home at the Kremlin’s library

In his 2013 speech at Carnegie Hall’s Medal of Excellence gala, Robert Kraft confessed about parting with his SB ring, “I really didn’t [want to]. I had an emotional tie to the ring, it has my name on it. I don’t want to see it on eBay.” But the good news for Kraft is that he won’t have to. According to a CNN report, the SB ring is displayed at the Kremlin’s library. Patriots media coordinator Stacey James confirmed this and said, “He loves that the 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.” 

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