Vladimir Putin Gets to Stay in Power for (At Least) Another Sixteen Years

[Frodo]

He is now the Tsar of Russia in all but name:

Putin wins right to extend his rule until 2036 in landslide vote
Constitutional amendments allow Russian president to run two more consecutive times.

By the end of that sixteen year extension to his rule, he will be in his eighties (he is already in his mid-sixties), and will need to consider who will be his heir to the throne. 

[Earthling]

He is now the Tsar of Russia in all but name:

Putin wins right to extend his rule until 2036 in landslide vote
Constitutional amendments allow Russian president to run two more consecutive times.

By the end of that sixteen year extension to his rule, he will be in his eighties (he is already in his mid-sixties), and will need to consider who will be his heir to the throne. 

Ivanka? Don Jr.?

Eric is probably too creepy. Even for Russia....

[America Needs R'hllor]

Hopefully he's removed much before that (meaning as soon as possible).

[Santander]

At least Trump will have a country to claim asylum in when he's charged with treason.

[CumbrianLefty]

Hopefully he's removed much before that (meaning as soon as possible).

He is in good health at the moment, of course there is no guarantee that will continue into the 2030s.

[😥]

I know you can't wish that on people. But I hope he dies in the near future. This is the only way for a better Russia, a better future for the Russian people and the return of Crimea and Donbass to Ukraine.

[President Johnson]

Hopefully he's removed much before that (meaning as soon as possible).

This. I don't think it will actually happen, but I wish it would happen after a coordinated effort from Western governments to outsmart him. So that Russians have enough and decide to remove him from power.

[Cassius]

I doubt Putin intends to stay in office as President until 2036. The passage of this amendment simply kicks the ‘2024 question’ into touch for a goodly while, which will give Putin the time to work out some sort of exit strategy for himself. Probably the best solution, rather than having some internecine power struggle for the Presidency over the next four years.

[Estrella]

Makes you ask what was the purpose of the previous term limit Potemkin village with Medvedev as President.

[Green Line]

What about the proposed changes stripping the Presidency of much of its power and transfering it to the PM, was that not voted upon?

[NewYorkExpress]

If we can legally drone Solemani, we can legally drone Putin right?

[Storr]

At some point we will start to have legitimate debates over who was the stronger/more effective leader, Stalin or Putin?

[Mr. Smith]

At this point, he's probably just trying to find the right person to groom to succeed him, Medvedev obviously wasn't it.

[Woody]

I know you can't wish that on people. But I hope he dies in the near future. This is the only way for a better Russia, a better future for the Russian people and the return of Crimea and Donbass to Ukraine.

Crimea will never return to Ukraine. Ukraine is a failed state now, it's nothing but a buffer state now, in the future it will probably be annexed along with Belarus by Russia

Hopefully he's removed much before that (meaning as soon as possible).

This. I don't think it will actually happen, but I wish it would happen after a coordinated effort from Western governments to outsmart him. So that Russians have enough and decide to remove him from power.

Don't count the Germans to join. Germany sold out Ukraine a long time ago (Nordstream, PACE, etc,)

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Crimea wants to be with Russia, so it should stay with them. People should own their lands and be in charge of their own destinies, not governments. Worth noting that the people that criticized the way Russia seized Crimea and said the referendum was unfair never called for a fair referendum or outlined a path for a "legal" reunion. Apparently since Crimea was handed over to Ukraine as recently as 1954 it must stay there for all eternity, the wisdom of respected statesman Nikita Khrushchev must never be questioned!

[Sir Mohamed]

I never believed for a minute this dude would be gone in 2024. I thought he may return as PM, though, and install some powerless placeholder as prez again.

If we can legally drone Solemani, we can legally drone Putin right?

Yup, would just cause WWIII. I'm not sure what would happen if a plat against Putin was successful. I'm not convinced everything would change for the better overnight. Maybe some military hardliner would take over and make things worse. Or Lavrov, who isn't any better than Putin. Now I'd wish Putin and his corrupt mob would get removed from power peacefully and face trials, but a change like this can only happen from within Russia. The West is in a difficult spot here, especially Europe with dependence on Russian gas and defense issues. That said, Putin needs to be confronted much more aggressively for his ongoing efforts to divide the Western world and stoking divisions within the US.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I doubt Putin intends to stay in office as President until 2036. The passage of this amendment simply kicks the ‘2024 question’ into touch for a goodly while, which will give Putin the time to work out some sort of exit strategy for himself. Probably the best solution, rather than having some internecine power struggle for the Presidency over the next four years.

I don't know that the track record shows he or his people are capable of finding a satisfactory exit strategy. There's been some commentary on how Kremlin machinations have grown increasingly crude.

[MT Treasurer]

If we can legally drone Solemani, we can legally drone Putin right?

lol

[AtorBoltox]

Crimea wants to be with Russia, so it should stay with them. People should own their lands and be in charge of their own destinies, not governments. Worth noting that the people that criticized the way Russia seized Crimea and said the referendum was unfair never called for a fair referendum or outlined a path for a "legal" reunion. Apparently since Crimea was handed over to Ukraine as recently as 1954 it must stay there for all eternity, the wisdom of respected statesman Nikita Khrushchev must never be questioned!

Useful idiot

[Woody]

Now that I think about it, Ukrainians should be grateful for the Soviet Union, the Soviets gave them Polish territories (Including Lwow), Bessarabia, and Crimea.

[Sir Mohamed]

Now that I think about it, Ukrainians should be grateful for the Soviet Union, the Soviets gave them Polish territories (Including Lwow), Bessarabia, and Crimea.

Dude, what are you talking about? Ukrainians should be grateful for the Soviet Union? You are aware of the fact Stalin killed millions of Ukrainians through oppression and many more through his failed economic policies that caused millions to die from starvation?

[Cassius]

I doubt Putin intends to stay in office as President until 2036. The passage of this amendment simply kicks the ‘2024 question’ into touch for a goodly while, which will give Putin the time to work out some sort of exit strategy for himself. Probably the best solution, rather than having some internecine power struggle for the Presidency over the next four years.

I don't know that the track record shows he or his people are capable of finding a satisfactory exit strategy. There's been some commentary on how Kremlin machinations have grown increasingly crude.

Touché, although in the case of Kremlin machinations I think they’ve always been fairly crude (and I mean right from the off in ‘99). My impression has always been that little thought had been given to the succession question prior to 2018, as Putin still had another term to run and seemed fairly fit and mentally sharp, and that this is why it has caused so much angst over the past couple of years, as the reality of the two-term rule suddenly focused people’s minds. Whilst I agree that it will be difficult to establish a satisfactory exit strategy, I think that pushing the latest date for one back by 12 years will at least give Putin time to put some more thought into this issue than previously.

[Citizen (The) Doctor]

Makes you ask what was the purpose of the previous term limit Potemkin village with Medvedev as President.

I think he legitimately wanted Medvedev to be president until he realized that his chosen successor was a lot more Western-friendly for his comfort. From all accounts, Medvedev would've pushed for a strong break from a petro-based economy in a modernization attempt -- if it succeeded he probably could have boxed out the oligarchs entirely.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Now that I think about it, Ukrainians should be grateful for the Soviet Union, the Soviets gave them Polish territories (Including Lwow), Bessarabia, and Crimea.

...Bessarabia is Moldova, though, no...?

[Lord Halifax]

Now that I think about it, Ukrainians should be grateful for the Soviet Union, the Soviets gave them Polish territories (Including Lwow), Bessarabia, and Crimea.

...Bessarabia is Moldova, though, no...?

Its coastal region Budjak became part of Ukraine, making Moldova a landlocked country.