To thank the leaders for their visit, Vladimir Putin chose “a present” that was unexpected to say the least, reports Le Monde. “Host of this informal summit, the Russian leader presented his counterparts with stunning white and yellow gold rings, on which are carved the symbol of the regional organization as well as the words ‘Happy New Year 2023’ and ‘Russia'” , explains the French media. The Russian president has reserved the right to obtain the ninth.
Does this remind you of anything? For observers, it is a strong parallel to the Lord of the Rings. As a reminder, Tolkien’s work released in the 50s evokes nine rings of power forged by the evil Sauron who pursues the objective of enslaving men. The ninth being the most powerful of all.
According to some observers, this is not the first time that an analogy has been made between Tolkien’s work and the war in Ukraine. Ukraine is compared to the peaceful Horror-attacked County which is represented by Russia. This oppressor is personified by the orcs, disgusting beings without any value like the Russian soldiers.
On social networks, other parallels have flourished. Like the fact that Putin is representative of Gollum while Zelensky would resemble Freudon. However, there is one major difference: the Ukrainian conflict is far from fiction.
The meeting was attended by the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Note that the only one who had the ring on his finger leaving the meeting was Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin’s most loyal ally.