The new frontier of the Kremlin: women who do not want children directed to psychological counseling

Russia will direct women who do not wish to have children towards psychological counseling, according to StraitsTimes, the oldest English-language newspaper in Singapore. According to the daily, the new health guidelines provide for this redirection to a psychologist in order to address the systemic demographic crisis.

The latest frontier of blame directed at women thus comes from the Kremlin.

Low birth rates are, moreover, a very serious issue in Russia, not least exacerbated by the fact that many military personnel are engaged in war zones. The problem, therefore, would be well beyond the choices of Russian women. However, this would be Putin's only strategy to tackle the birth crisis in the former Soviet Union.

The new directives from the Ministry of Health state that during reproductive health checks, doctors should ask women how many children they wish to have. If the woman responds that she prefers not to have any, then "it is recommended to refer the patient to a consultation with a medical psychologist with the aim of fostering a positive attitude towards parenthood", the Singapore daily reports.

The head of the Kremlin has described the demographic decline as a matter of national survival. But war is not the main factor. It is the choice of women.