Moldy Peaches

What is Vladimir Putin thinking? Following a meeting of American business executives and Putin at Konstantinovsky Palace near St. Petersburg on Saturday, New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft showed his new Superbowl ring to Putin — who tried it on, put it in his pocket and left, say Russian news reports.

It isn't clear yet if Kraft, whose business interests also include paper and packaging companies and venture capital investments, intended that Putin keep the ring.

However, a Kremlin official who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of compromising his position said the ring was a present. "Such a present was made," the official said. He said Putin had given the ring to the Kremlin library where other foreign gifts are kept.

Patriot's public relations officials say the ring's worth was "substantially more" than $15,000, as the value had been reported. They, however, refuse to be specific, but noted that the ring has 124 diamonds.

As Boney M would say, Oh those Russians!