Sir Elton John has met up with the Ukrainian boy he and David Furnish were stopped from adopting nine years ago.
The 71-year-old superstar happily caught up with Lev, now aged 10, on Tuesday as they reunited at the Burabazar festival in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
The singer and his husband tried to adopt Lev back in 2009, but were deemed unsuitable parents by Ukrainian officials – who do not recognise same-sex marriage.
Reunion: Sir Elton John has met up with the Ukrainian boy he and David Furnish were stopped from adopting nine years ago (pictured together in 2009)
The meeting between Sir Elton, David and Lev was arranged by the Elena Pinchuk Foundation as part of an anti-AIDS charity event titled A Day with Elton John.
The group were seen happily greeting each other at the event, before Lev and Elton posed together in front of old photographs of their first meeting while he was a baby.
Elton and David, who have been together since 1993, tried to adopt the boy from an orphanage in the city of Makiivka in the now contested Donetsk Oblast region of eastern Ukraine.
Catching up: Elton’s husband David (L) joined them and they happily posed with Lev at the meeting, organised by the Elena Pinchuk Foundation as part of an anti-AIDS charity event
However, they were blocked by Ukrainian officials who do not recognise same-sex marriages, and did not see the couple as ‘suitable parents’.
The youngster was forced to leave Makiivka soon after due to the conflict in the Donbass region – where war is still raging between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces.
Despite being blocked from adoption, the Rocket Man hitmaker reportedly helped Lev, his brother Arten and their grandmother move to the safety of Lviv, a city across the country.
Feeling good: Sir Elton proved to be in good spirits at the reunion – having been blocked from adopting the baby back in 2009
Difficult: Ukrainian officials, who do not recognise same-sex marriages, did not see Elton and David as ‘suitable parents’ when they tried to adopt Lev from an orphanage in Makiivka
Elton, who is a prominent activist and patron of the organisations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS around the world, regularly visits Ukraine for the cause.
In continuation of his charity work, Elton is also preparing to deliver a landmark lecture on the disease, in remembrance of his late friend Princess Diana.
The icon – who was a close friend of the British royal – has agreed to deliver the Diana, Princess of Wales Lecture on HIV in London on June 8, with politicians, health workers, celebrities and other people living with HIV in attendance.
Doing his bit: Elton, who is a prominent activist and patron of the organisations involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS around the world, attended the festival to raise awareness for the cause
Charity man: Sir Elton also gave a speech at the event – having established his own AIDs foundation in 1992
Emotional: In continuation of his charity work, Elton is preparing to deliver a landmark lecture on the disease, in remembrance of his late friend Princess Diana next month
Elton, who established his own AIDs foundation in 1992, said of the big event: ‘I am delighted to be able to deliver this lecture and to remember the enormous contribution Diana, Princess of Wales made to this cause.
‘In the quarter century since the Elton John AIDS Foundation was established, the global AIDS fight has changed beyond recognition.
‘Yet tolerance and courage has never been more important in that fight. We need to remember what is important if we are going to be successful.’
Elton will use the platform to detail his ambition of an AIDs-free future, as well as his close friendship with Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris in September 1997.
Close: Elton will use the platform to detail his ambition of an AIDs-free future, as well as his close friendship with Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris in September 1997