YEKATERINBURG, Russia, June 4 (UPI) -- President Vladimir Putin, as a summit with the European Union began, urged the Legislature to bar adoptions of Russian children by same-sex couples.
Putin said he would sign a bill if it reaches his desk, RIA Novosti reported. Alexei Levchenko, an aide to Olga Golodets, the deputy premier on social issues, said last week legislation will be introduced.
The president was in Yekaterinburg in the Urals for the meeting.
Russia has been moving in the opposite direction of many European countries on homosexuality. While France recently legalized same-sex marriage and adoptions, the Russian Duma has voted to ban "gay propaganda" to children and Putin has said the country might draw up new adoption agreements with the nations where same-sex marriage is legal.
Pavel Astakhov, the Russian ombudsman on children's rights, has called for a moratorium on French adoptions.
Putin in a statement at the summit called for tolerance.
"I believe we all should be more tolerant and show less aggression," he said. "This concerns both people of traditional and non-traditional orientation. Less aggression and touting of these problems. This will be better for everybody."
