Russia Opens the Door to a Prolonged Putin Presidency

On March 10, the Russian State Duma approved a bill on constitutional amendments that would legally open the door to extending President Vladamir Putin's era. Among the amendments accepted into the bill was a proposal to reset the terms served by presidents in the past, effectively allowing Putin to run for two more terms in the future should he chose to do so. While Putin has previously played down his intent to extend his reign at Russia's helm, these new constitutional changes officially pave the way for him to do just that. Whether he will actually run in 2024 is still not guaranteed, though having the option to delay his departure by six or twelve more years could itself postpone a lot of anticipated uncertainties about Russia’s transition under a new president. ...