Key Points
- Vladimir Putin has gifted rings to Moscow-allied leaders of post-Soviet countries.
- Eight foreign leaders were gifted the rings, while the ninth was kept by the Russian president.
- In JRR Tolkien's series, antagonist Sauron gives rings to nine kings to enslave them and bend them to his will.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted eight golden rings to Moscow-allied leaders of post-Soviet countries, sparking jokes and comparisons with power-hungry tyrant Sauron from the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
During a summit in Saint Petersburg on Monday and Tuesday, the leaders of eight states received golden rings showcasing the emblem of the regional organisation, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and feature the engraved words 'Russia' and 'Happy New Year 2023.'
Mr Putin kept the ninth ring for himself.
Of the foreign leaders, only Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko was pictured wearing the present.
Some political commentators such as prominent political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann said the allusion to the epic fantasy trilogy by JRR Tolkien was intentional.
In Mr Tolkien's classic, Sauron gives rings to nine kings in order to enslave them and bend them to his will.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted eight rings to heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States with the words "Russia" and "Happy New Year 2023" engraved on them. Source: Twitter
At first glance the gifting of the rings looks like a "fever dream", Ms Schulmann wrote.
"It was of course done deliberately," she added on messaging app Telegram.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted Moscow-allied leaders of post-Soviet countries eight rings that have been compared to the rings from Lord of the Rings drawing comparisons to the character Sauron from the popular series. Source: Getty / Marta Iwanek
"Every state whose ruler puts on this ring will turn into darkness ruled by a madman," Ms Latynina quipped.
"I think Putin will wear the ring alone. And not for long."
Wits in Ukraine had particular fun mocking the Kremlin chief.
"Putin got tired of being the Hitler of the 21st century and decided to play Lord of the Rings," wrote Ukrainian politician Oleksiy Goncharenko.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was no need to read too much into the meaning of the gifts.
Russian President Vladimir Putin poses for a photo with the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Saint Petersburg on Monday. Source: Getty / Konstantin Zavrazhin
Mr Putin will not be wearing his ring, he added.
