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Putin not to meet Elton John this time — Kremlin

According to Vladimir Putin's press secretary, the president may meet with the musician next time the latter visits Russia

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be unable to have a meeting with visiting British musician and vocalist Elton John, who will perform in Moscow on May 30, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Thursday.

"We exchanged messages with him [Elton John] a couple of weeks ago. It is true that there was an agreement such a meeting might take place, provided the schedules permit. Putin said he was ready for that. Regrettably, it won’t work this time. The schedules do not coincide, but that does not mean that such a rendezvous cannot happen next time," Peskov said.

Earlier, the Kremlin did not rule out that Putin might receive Elton John in Moscow in the near future.

In the middle of September 2015 Elton John told the BBC in an interview he would like to meet Putin and discuss the position of sexual minorities in Russia. Shortly after that he posted a message in Instagram saying he had allegedly had a telephone conversation with the Russian leader. However, later it turned out that he had fallen victim to a hoax by two Russian pranksters. After that Putin did make a telephone call to Elton John and they agreed on a personal meeting. Peskov then said it had taken the Russian side certain efforts to persuade the musician it was really true the Russian leader was going to talk to him.