Vladimir Putin Offers to Pay Russian Mothers to Each Have Three Babies

As a result of a falling birthrate that created a crisis in Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s government is already paying women to have a second child and trying to establish a system of payments for mothers who have a third child.

In his Dec. 19th State-of-the-Union address, Putin praised the growth in population that has resulted from more mothers having two babies each. He said that in the first nine months of 2012 alone, Russia’s population grew by 200,000.

He then added:

Demographers affirm that choosing to have second child is already a potential choice in favor of a third. It’s important that families make that step… In order for Russia to be a strong and sovereign country there must be more of us and we must be better in morality, in our competences, our work, and our creativity. 

Putin went on to speak of his plans to create to new jobs for the growing population — especially jobs in “aircraft and shipbuilding.” He then lauded the Russian military as the guarantor of Russia’s “security and independence.”