"I love Russia and my offer to talk to President Putin about LGBT rights still stands. I will always stand up for those that are being degraded and discriminated against," he wrote.
"If this unfortunate incident has helped push this vital issue back into the spotlight, then I am happy to be pranked on this occasion," the singer added.
Earlier this week, Elton John said he had a phone conversation with the Russian leader. In turn, Putin’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov denied the singer’s claims and added that the president is ready to meet with the singer to answer his questions.
Later, it turned out that the phone call to the renowned British singer was a hoax done by famous Russian pranksters Alexei Stolyarov and Vladimir Krasnov.
Sound clip of the prank call in the video below.
