**Putin Signs Law Banning Adoption and Promoting Traditional Values**

Russian President Vladimir Putin enacted a new legislation on Saturday that prohibits adoption of Russian children by citizens from countries where gender transitioning is permitted. The law also outlaws the dissemination of materials that encourage citizens to remain child-free. This move follows a series of legislative actions aimed at suppressing sexual minorities while reinforcing traditional values within Russia.

This adoption ban specifically targets at least 15 nations, many of which are European, as well as Australia, Argentina, and Canada. The United States has been unable to adopt Russian children since 2012. Lower house Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, one of the authors of the bill, emphasized the need to protect adopted children from potential dangers associated with gender reassignment in these countries in a post on Telegram earlier in July.

In addition to the adoption ban, the newly signed laws impose fines of up to 5 million rubles (approximately $50,000) for promoting a lifestyle that advocates not having children. Proponents of these measures argue that anti-childbearing sentiments are part of an alleged Western strategy aimed at diminishing Russia's population.

Putin and other senior officials have increasingly championed traditional values as a countermeasure to Western liberalism. Amid a declining population, Putin has previously urged women to have large families, recommending up to eight children. Last year, Russia banned gender-transition medical procedures, and the Supreme Court labeled the LGBTQ+ "movement" as extremist.

In 2022, Putin extended the existing ban on LGBTQ+ information from being distributed to minors to include people of all ages. Following the military incursion into Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has intensified its rhetoric, frequently portraying the West as "satanic" and accusing it of undermining Russia through liberal ideologies. This period has seen heightened government scrutiny on independent journalists, critics, activists, and opposition figures, with many being designated as "foreign agents," a term that subjects them to closer oversight and carries a significant stigma.