Since taking office more than two decades ago, Putin has creatively navigated around rules meant to limit presidential terms. When he first reached his two-term limit in 2008, he stepped down briefly and served as prime minister while a trusted ally took the presidency. This allowed him to return as president later without breaking the rules outright.

Then in 2020, Putin introduced sweeping constitutional amendments that effectively reset the clock on his prior presidential terms. A national vote approved these changes, and the constitution was updated immediately afterward. The result: his previous years in office no longer counted, and he was allowed to run for two more six-year terms starting in 2024 — potentially extending his rule all the way to 2036.

These legal changes were more than just about term limits. They also strengthened presidential powers, moved authority over key appointments from the judiciary to the executive, and limited external checks on the presidency. Many critics called it a strategy to hold onto power under the guise of constitutional reform.

Because of these moves, Putin remains at the center of Russian politics, with his current term already set to run until 2030 and the option to stay in office even longer. What began as a way around term limits has become a long-term legal structure under which he could remain in power for years to come.