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Putin Calls Off Elton John Meeting

British singer Elton John

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not meet pop singer Elton John in the near future despite an earlier agreement, the TASS news agency reported Thursday.

The British musician and LGBT campaigner will be coming to Moscow to perform a concert on May 30.

“We were in touch with him a couple of weeks ago. Indeed, there was an agreement that if Elton John's schedule allowed then a meeting would be held. President Putin also expressed his readiness, but unfortunately this time it is not going to work,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

Peskov said that the meeting's failure did not mean that it would not take place at a later date.

Elton John expressed his desire to meet the Russian President and discuss rights of LGBT community in Russia in September last year.

He claimed soon after that Putin had got in touch with him, but the call turned out to be a hoax prepared by the Russian pranksters known as Lexus and Vovan. The prank was followed by a message from the real Putin, who offered to meet Elton John and discuss any questions that he may have.

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