National Football League

Robert Kraft hopes President Trump can get his Super Bowl ring back from Putin

Published Feb. 5, 2017 4:20 p.m. ET

Barry Werner

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told FOX News on Sunday that he is hopeful his friend, new president Donald Trump, can assist him in getting back a Super Bowl ring that wound up on the hands of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“I do have an emotional attachment to that ring,” Kraft said Sunday of the $25,000 piece of jewelry the owner allowed to Putin to try on after he admired it during a 2005 meeting.

“I could kill someone with this ring,” Putin reportedly said, according to Kraft back in 2013. When Kraft put out his hand to get his ring back, Putin — surrounded by three KGB agents — pocketed the ring and left the room.

And the pilfered ring actually led to Kraft getting a call from the White House, asking for the owner to be diplomatic about it.

"It would really be in the best interest of US-Soviet relations if you meant to give the ring as a present," Kraft has said he was told on the White House call. "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. There was a pause on the other end of the line, and the voice repeated, 'It would really be in the best interest if you meant to give the ring as a present.' "

Kraft is willing to have a ring made for the Russian leader in exchange for getting the second of his four Super Bowl rings back.

“I was willing to have one made with his name on it. Maybe we will have the new president bring it to him when he connects with him,” Kraft said Sunday.