CIVIC LANE Vladimir Putin has argued that Russia's falling birth rate cannot primarily be attributed to the war in Ukraine. He pointed to very low fertility in other wealthy post-industrial societies that are not at war. Demographers generally examine many factors including housing, income, childcare, changing family preferences and insecurity about the future. Russian population policy has become strategically important because the country is simultaneously dealing with ageing and labour shortages. The argument therefore raises a broader question relevant to much of Europe.