Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday argued against total abortion bans in Russia but called on women to safeguard their pregnancy, citing longstanding demographic concerns.
Putin made the comments amid fears of a nationwide ban on abortion, which has been legal in Russia for decades, after restrictions were imposed on private clinics in over a dozen Russian regions.
The Russian leader said prohibiting abortion would be as ineffective as Mikhail Gorbachev's widely unpopular alcohol bans in the mid-1980s.
"I just remembered the bans in the Anti-Alcohol Campaign. We know what this led to. It led to using surrogates, to an increase in making moonshine and to poisonings," he said.
"And here too, we should act very carefully," he said, responding to a question on abortion during an end-of-year press conference.
He however said that women should carry out their pregnancies to solve the long-standing problem of Russia's shrinking population.
"The state is interested for the demographic problem to be resolving itself if women took a decision, after finding out about a pregnancy, in favour of safeguarding the life of the child," Putin said.
"But of course, the rights and freedom of women should be respected," he added.
Experts say banning abortion does not lead to an increase in birth rates.
Putin also said he understood the position of the Orthodox Church lobbying for an abortion ban, saying it was "fighting for the life of everyone."
Russia has taken an increasingly conservative turn during its Ukraine campaign.