Looks like Russian President (and strongman) Vladimir Putin has made a new friend. Elton John says Vladimir Putin has phoned him, after the musician requested a meeting to discuss Russia’s anti-gay environment.

On Instagram, the star said “thank-you to President Vladimir Putin for reaching out and speaking via telephone with me today. I look to forward to meeting with you face-to-face to discuss LGBT equality in Russia.”

John’s publicist, Gary Farrow, confirmed the content of the Instagram post Tuesday.

Last week John criticized Russia’s law against gay “propaganda” and comments by Putin suggesting that gay people prey on children. He told the BBC he would “love to sit down with him” and try to change Putin’s mind.

It was unclear whether the Kremlin had agreed to a meeting.

John performed in the then-Soviet Union in 1979 and still regularly plays shows in Russia.

Just because, here’s a YouTube video of our favorite song of John’s – Rocket Man

The Associated Press contributed to this article