Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday opposed a ban on abortions, but urged women not to have the procedure, citing Russia’s shrinking population, AFP and Agerpres reported.

Vladimir PutinPhoto: Oleksiy Druzhinin / TASS / Profimedia

Abortions have been legalized in the country for decades, but several Russian regions have recently restricted access to private clinics, raising fears of a wider ban.

Vladimir Putin has expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such a ban, comparing it to the highly unpopular restrictions on the sale of alcohol introduced by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the 1980s.

“I remember the bans during the anti-alcohol campaign,” which led to the population’s consumption of “substitute products and increased the number of deaths from alcohol poisoning,” the Russian president said at an annual press conference.

“We have to be careful here too,” Vladimir Putin said, answering the presenter’s question about abortions.

Over the years, the Kremlin has increased its pro-natalist financial incentives

However, he believes that women should carry their pregnancies to term to solve Russia’s structural demographic crisis, which has been exacerbated by the deadly conflict in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is in the interests of the state that the demographic problem resolves itself if women, having learned about the pregnancy, decide to save the child’s life,” he said. “But women’s rights and freedoms must certainly be respected,” the president emphasized.

Vladimir Putin also stated that he understands the position of the Orthodox Church, the main opponent of abortion, explaining that it “fights for everyone’s life.”

Russia has been turning into a conservative country for years, influencing all layers of society, and this has intensified after its attack on Ukraine, AFP comments.

Vladimir Putin, who is running for another term in March 2024, has also made protecting conservative family values ​​a top political goal. Over the years, the Kremlin has increased its pro-natalist financial incentives. This policy acquired a new meaning after the war in Ukraine.