Kremlin spokesman suggests prankster should apologize to Elton John

(Interfax – September 16, 2015)

The well-known Russian impersonator who claimed he tricked Elton John into thinking that President Vladimir Putin had phoned him to discuss LGBT rights should apologize to the singer, Putin’s spokesman said on 16 September, in remarks reported by privately-owned Russian news agency Interfax.

Asked whether Vladimir Krasnov, better known as Vovan, should apologize to the Kremlin, Dmitriy Peskov said: “I would actually advise him to apologize to Elton John, who’s a performer who’s pretty respected and loved in our country. It probably wasn’t very good to play him this way.”

Peskov added that Putin remains willing to meet John if asked.

“I will repeat once again: I am convinced that, if Elton John makes the request, I don’t doubt that the Russian president will be ready to meet him and to provide any explanations for the questions he has,” the spokesman said.

Earlier, Elton John said on his Instagram account that he had been contacted by Putin to discuss LGBT rights. The Kremlin denied this was the case, and Krasnov subsequently admitted he was involved, telling the BBC and Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda that he made the call with his sidekick Aleksey Stolyarov, known as “Lexus”.