Putin praises official’s ‘form’ after birth of seventh child

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday congratulated the children´s ombudswoman for giving birth to her seventh child last week and complemented on her “form”. The Kremlin´s ombudswoman for children´s rights Anna Kuznetsova confirmed she had given birth to her son on Friday after Putin extended his congratulations. “How do you manage to keep such a form?” Putin asked, smiling. “May 28 was so recent. The exchange came just ahead of a meeting between the president and couples who have large families, which under Russian law are entitled to a variety of benefits and are sometimes awarded medals. “I want to thank you for your conscious decision... in favour of a large, strong family,” Putin said during the call. The Russian government has extolled the virtues of large families against the backdrop of a population decline and a general pivot toward “traditional” family values and the Orthodox church. Appointed in 2016 and reappointed last year for another five-year term, Kuznetsova is married to an Orthodox clergyman and has called for policies limiting abortions in Russia.