Presidential spokesman denies conversation took place with pop star who said he wanted to speak to Russian leader about gay rights

A spokesman for Vladimir Putin has denied that the Russian president spoke by telephone to Sir Elton John, contradicting a claim by the British singer and LGBT campaigner that the two men had had a conversation.

Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin was unsure how “authentic” a social media post from the star was in which he thanked the Russian leader for “reaching out and speaking via telephone with me today”.

The message, which came after John said he would like to meet Putin to discuss his “ridiculous” attitude towards gay people, appeared on the musician’s Instagram account late on Monday. Without saying exactly what the two had spoken about, it finished: “I look forward to meeting with you face to face to discuss LGBT equality in Russia.”

But on Tuesday Peskov denied the phone call had taken place. “I don’t doubt that if there is such a request, the president will be ready to meet with Elton John among others to give answers to all the questions that he might ask,” he told journalists. “But we haven’t received such signals yet.”

A spokesperson for the Elton John Aids Foundation had not responded to requests for comment.



John had strongly criticised Putin in neighbouring Ukraine, where he met the president, Petro Poroshenko, to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights.



Both Russia and Ukraine have a poor track record on the issue. Videos made in Moscow and Kiev this summer showed passersby insulting and attacking two men holding hands.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A gay couple are attacked in Kiev after being spotted sitting closely together on a bench. Link to video

The British musician, who is popular in Russia, has long campaigned to end the country’s law against the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors” which, according to activists, has essentially made it illegal to disseminate material on LGBT rights and has increased homophobic violence.

John has condemned the law at concerts in Moscow and St Petersburg, and last year he published an open letter calling for its repeal.

John told the BBC on Saturday that he would like to meet Putin to discuss the president’s stance on gay rights, which he called “isolating and prejudiced” and “ridiculous”. He particularly criticised the law against gay “propaganda” and said Putin’s statement at the Sochi Olympics last year that gay people would be fine in Russia as long as they “leave the kids alone” was “stupid”.

“It’s probably pie in the sky … He may laugh behind my back when he shuts the door, and call me an absolute idiot, but at least I can think I have the conscience to say I tried,” John said.

The Kremlin has shown no indication that it might be willing to back down from its stance on gay rights.

Last week Putin awarded a medal “for service to the fatherland” to a vocally anti-gay St Petersburg politician known for helping to inspire the gay “propaganda” law.

Vitaly Milonov told the Guardian on Monday that John should not distract Putin with such an “irrelevant topic”, and offered to meet the singer himself to explain Russia’s stance on gay rights.

Yury Gavrikov, an LGBT activist, said a meeting between Putin and John could have a positive effect and potentially even lead to the repeal of the law.

“Water wears away stone,” Gavrikov told the Govorit Moskva radio station. “Any statement in the public space by some significant person or another changes the views of both politicians and people. So it’s not worth waiting for manna from heaven, but I think we can expect another push to somehow change the situation in Russia.”