Unsettling developments in Russia: The expected behavior of children

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma, has suggested that schoolgirls should be taught how to make borscht— a traditional soup— and boys ought to learn to "hold a hammer". Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently proposed that women, drawing inspiration from their grandmothers, should have at least eight children.

The Russian State Duma passed a bill on Thursday mandating labor lessons at the second and third readings. Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin explained that this would allow boys to acquire "new technologies" enabling them to "support women" in the future.

The subject of women's roles has become a significant issue in Russia lately. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko expressed that society has grown accustomed to women focusing initially on education and career, building a financial foundation before considering childbearing—an expectation that key Russian figures seem to be challenging.

The country's most influential individuals disagree with this social trend, an example being Vladimir Putin, who made a call a few weeks ago for women to bear more children.

According to Putin, Russia is grappling with severe demographic problems, which he suggests may be overcome by reviving the tradition of large families.

Putin reminisced about an era when families usually had seven or eight children, or sometimes even more, explaining that having many children and creating a large family should regain its place as the norm across all regions in Russia.

Historically, Ukraine has been steadfast in its battle against Russian hostility, continuously bolstered by robust support from the United States. But now there appears to be a glitch.

A bill entailing a 61 billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine failed to gain majority support in the U.S. Senate and has thus been halted. All Republican senators voted against the bill due to neglect of the need for extensive reforms in immigration policy.

Now, the possibility of the EU banding together to reconcile the shortfall in promised American support for Ukraine is emerging.