The final law that forbids the promotion of childlessness has been passed by Russian MPs as part of Moscow’s attempts to combat what it views as liberal influences from the West. Russia wants to address the demographic issues caused by aging populations and falling birth rates, which have been exacerbated by its military war in Ukraine.

The measure was unanimously approved by the State Duma and limits content on media platforms that promotes opposition to parenthood. The law targets particular content that encourages willful childlessness.

Although it’s still unclear how this actually works, the law promotes childless lifestyles while protecting individual choices. Deportation of foreign criminals is one of the penalties, which include fines of up to 400,000 rubles for individuals and 5 million rubles for organizations.

“Without children, there will be no country,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Duma, highlighting the importance of the law. People will quit having children as a result of this ideology. He emphasized how it protects children and upholds traditional family values.

On November 20, the law will be reviewed by the upper house before to President Vladimir Putin’s expected ratification. This strengthens already-existing prohibitions on topics of gender transition and LGBTQ-related information.

The Duma also enacted laws prohibiting adoptions from nations that allow gender reassignment. According to Volodin, who criticized Western childcare practices, 102,403 Russian children have been adopted by foreigners since 1993.

Since the start of its offensive in Ukraine, Russia’s opposition to liberal ideals has become stronger. The nation prohibited the “international LGBT movement” and gender reassignment surgeries in July 2023. President Putin has continuously lashed out at LGBTQ people and gender reassignment.

This comes after Russia outlawed US adoptions in 2012 after a Russian child died while in American custody. The nation’s anti-what it views as Western liberal ideas is furthered by the continued enforcement of harsh laws against LGBTQ people.