Vladimir Putin To Be President For Life? Russian Leader Signs Bill Allowing Two More Terms

Russian President Vladimir Putin could be in office until 2036. The change to presidential term limits was bundled with a variety of popular measures like strengthening pension protections, Reuters reported.

The most recent set of constitutional changes established a two-term limit for Russian presidents. The measure only received Putin’s support, however, by not coming into effect until after his current term ends in 2024.

“The president is a guarantor of security of our state, its internal stability and evolutionary development,” Putin said in March. “We have had enough revolutions.”

His previous terms as president would not be counted retroactively. Putin is currently serving his second consecutive and fourth total term. Under the new rules, the 68-year-old could be in office until he’s 83.

The new law was made possible by constitutional changes last year, and passed through the Russian parliamentary houses in March.

It also bans anyone who’s ever held foreign citizenship from running for president.

Critics assailed the change as a thinly veiled coup, solidifying power under Putin in the wake of the highly publicized arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Putin hasn’t yet said whether he’ll run again in 2024, but told state news that he wanted to avoid the chaos of political restructuring.

"I know that in two years, instead of working normally at all levels of the state, all eyes will be on the search for potential successors," Putin said last year. "We must work and not look for successors."