Newsweek: Putin’s Gifts to Ex-Soviet Leaders Spark ‘Lord of the Rings’ Jokes 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s gifts to his allies sparked a barrage of jokes and comparisons to the Lord of the Rings series. 

Putin, who has faced rebuke from the West over his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, gifted rings to the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a coalition of former Soviet republics, in St. Petersburg on Monday, according to a report from The Moscow Times, an independent Russian news outlet. 

During the summit, in which Putin reaffirmed cooperation between the member states despite some tensions, the Russian president gave the leaders a gold ring engraved with New Year’s greetings, according to the Times.  

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Putin Gives Eight Golden ‘Rings Of Power’ To CIS leaders At Summit 

Putin Presents Rings to his Fellow CIS Leaders During Summit — Moscow Times
 

Putin gives eight golden ‘rings of power’ to CIS leaders, keeping another for himself — Meduza 

Putin gives rings to heads of former Soviet Union states at summit — FOX News