Members of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, voted by 397-1 in favor of the new adoption ban in the first of three readings suggesting that the legislation, which has already been conceptually approved by the government, will become law. “This decision is aimed at protecting childhood and traditional values,” Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Duma and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin said after it had been voted on. “It is necessary to protect our children from the dangers they may face when they are adopted or fostered by citizens of foreign countries where gender reassignment is allowed.”Volodin said dozens of Western countries allowed people to change their gender. Vasily Piskarev, a senior lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party and another co-author of the legislation, has alleged that adoptees risk being forced to change their gender or falling victim to sexual exploitation in the West. Russia in 2012 banned adoptions by U.S. citizens and its war in Ukraine has seen the number of adoptions by foreign nationals dwindle to just six children in 2023 according to data from the RBK news outlet.

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Persons: Vladimir Putin, ” Vyacheslav Volodin, ” Volodin, Vasily Piskarev Organizations: Wednesday, State Duma, Duma, United Russia Locations: MOSCOW, Russia, West, West . Russia, Ukraine