MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that could keep him in office in the Kremlin until 2036, the government said on Monday.

The legislation allows him to run for two more six-year terms once his current stint ends in 2024. It follows changes to the constitution last year.

The changes were approved by the Kremlin-controlled legislature and the relevant law signed by Putin was posted on Monday on an official portal of legal information.

The law signed by Putin limits any future president to two terms in office, but resets his term count. It prevents anyone who has held foreign citizenship from running for the Kremlin.

The 68-year-old Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades said he would decide later whether to run again in 2024 when his current six-year term ends.

He has argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work instead of “darting their eyes in search for possible successors.”

Nearly 78 percent of voters approved the constitutional amendments during the balloting that lasted for a week and concluded on July 1. Turnout was 68 percent.

Following the vote, Russian lawmakers have methodically modified the national legislation, approving the relevant laws.

The legislation, which critics call a constitutional coup, was packaged with an array of other amendments that were expected to garner popular support, such as one bolstering pension protections. — Agencies