Running short of soldiers, Russia is turning to novel, long range societal fixes: restricting abortions, banning gay groups, and pardoning female inmates who conceive during marital visits. The changes come as President Putin looks ahead to presidential elections next March.
It looks like Mr. Putin will seek to position Russia as a bulwark against the, in his view, decadent West. Pro-life groups have erected billboards showing two pictures, one of a fetus, the other of a child in a military uniform. “Protect me today,” the fetus says. “So that I can defend you tomorrow,” the boy soldier chimes in.
