British singer Elton John said on Thursday he was "happy to be pranked" by two Russian comedians impersonating Vladimir Putin if the incident helped shine a spotlight on gay discrimination.
Vladimir Krasnov and Aleksei Stolyarov said they had called the singer in a prank call, one impersonating the Russian president and the other posing as his translator, after John told reporters he wanted to meet Putin to discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual rights.
"If this unfortunate incident has helped push this vital issue back into the spotlight, then I am happy to be pranked on this occasion," John added in his Instagram post.
On the 11-minute call, John, through a Russian translator, can be heard discussing a visit to Moscow with a man he believed was Putin.