NSDC’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) stated that Pyotr Tolstoy, Deputy Speaker of the Russian parliament, recently said that earlier constitutional amendments—which “reset” Putin’s presidential term limits—were not enough.
Tolstoy claimed that after the start of the “special military operation” (Russia’s war against Ukraine), the situation “changed drastically,” and the new amendments would be “much deeper.”
CCD noted that Russia’s March presidential “elections,” held in part on Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories, lack any legitimacy. Although the current constitution allows Putin to run for a sixth term in 2030 and gives him near-unlimited power, CCD said it appears he plans to formalize even greater authority—likely including the ability to rule for life.