Putin Thanks Russians As He Bags Their "Trust and Support"

After a nationwide vote approved controversial constitutional reforms that allows him to extend his rule until 2036, President Vladimir Putin has on Thursday thanked Russians for their "trust and support".

He thanked them in a televised remarks after an announcement from Russia’s election commission that nearly 78 percent of voters had supported the amendments to the basic law.

Putin noted that the amendments were necessary as they “improve the political system and fortify social guarantees” as well as “strengthen sovereignty.”

However the man whose current tenure expires by 2024 made no mention of the fact that the changes also reset his constitutional term limit, allowing him to stay in the Kremlin for 12 more years till 2036.

According to him, "very little time has passed since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

"We are still very vulnerable in many respects. As people say, slot of things have just been tacked together", he added.

"We need internal stability and time to strengthen country and it's institutions."

Pointing at the trust of working together, he promised that the government, "must do everything to justify this trust".