OREANDA-NEWS. The Minister of Health of Russia Veronika Skvortsova said to journalists that the issue of permit of euthanasia in the country should be decided taking into account the views of citizens, but now there is not even a time limit for its consideration. At the same time, the politician refused to forecast how exactly this problem will be resolved in Russia.

Answering the question about it, Skvortsova noted the complexity of this topic. She recalled that in other countries this issue was resolved by referendum, in particular due to differences in the prevailing religions.

“Besides, there are other ways to get rid of suffering. They are those drastic drugs that we talked about and that are not even registered, and we purposefully import them into the country… palliative care… which is now very actively developing in our country,” said the head of the Ministry of Health.

She refused to predict exactly how the issue of euthanasia will be resolved in Russia. “The population itself must decide whether it is ready to do it or not,” Skvortsova concluded.

She noted that the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and the United States abused the right for euthanasia. Program host asked whether Skvortsova meant “killing people.” “I mean it,” said the minister.

Later, Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Central Election Commission, said that the decision to introduce euthanasia in Russia cannot be made in a referendum.

Dmitry Peskov, the Spokesman for Russian President, noted in this regard that the Kremlin has no position on holding a referendum to resolve this issue.

Gennady Onishchenko, the State Duma deputy, former Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Russia, opposed euthanasia. He called this procedure a crime and recalled the principle associated with the Christian tradition: “It was not I who gave life to a man, and not I should take it away.”