Russian lawmaker criticises EU gender reassignment policy as “tragic”

Russian State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has strongly criticised the European Union’s approach to gender reassignment, warning that the removal of age restrictions and medical requirements could lead to a “great tragedy.”

Volodin was responding to the European Commission’s strategy presented in October 2025, which emphasises protection for individuals against discrimination based on gender identity. He described the policy as “madness and insanity” and said it reflected plans to “further turn people into surrogates," Caliber.Az reports per his Telegram.  

The Russian lawmaker also referred to a European Parliament report outlining the EU’s priorities for negotiations at the upcoming UN Commission on the Status of Women in March. 

He claimed that most Members of the European Parliament support granting transgender women the same rights as women, including the right to give birth, and suggested that the recent vote on the issue demonstrated a level of “insanity and degradation.”

By Sabina Mammadli