Bring me, animals, your babies

During Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's direct line with the population, Children's Rights Commissioner Pavel Astakhov furiously attacked the idea of ​​adoption of Russian children by foreign citizens. Remembering two high-profile stories about the death of children from Russia adopted by Americans, Astakhov asked: “Maybe we should stop foreign adoption?” This cry was met with applause. Putin began by declaring: “I am not a supporter of adoption by foreigners.” More applause. Here Putin made a reservation that they say that in our orphanages there are unfavorable conditions, but with foreign adoptive parents, they say, our children grow up in a good atmosphere. “This is the choice,” Putin said, after which he stated that the level of care for children in orphanages should be improved and adoption by Russian citizens should be encouraged in every possible way. This is, of course, a good thing, but these statements ultimately boil down to cries that evil foreigners are torturing our little ones, and it would be better if we torture them here at home. While the standard of living in orphanages improves (Astakhov himself knows this firsthand and, when necessary, stigmatizes him louder than other foreigners) and the overall standard of living in the average Russian family, many abandoned children, if foreigners are prohibited from being adoptive parents, will be left without the opportunity to live in normal, human conditions. Fortunately, actress and philanthropist Olga Budina, who was present in the studio, allowed herself to argue with Astakhov, saying that domestic adoptive parents, as a rule, do not take in sick children. But it is not a fact that it was heard by those who make decisions.