(MOSCOW) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he opposes the idea of an unlimited term in office for the country’s leader like the system that existed in the Soviet Union. Putin’s comment at a meeting with World War II veterans in St. Petersburg came days after he called for constitutional changes that could help him remain in power once his presidential term ends in 2024. When a veteran at Saturday’s meeting proposed not having term limits for Russia’s president, Putin responded that “it would be very disturbing to return to the situation of the mid-1980s, with the leaders of the state, one by one, staying in power until the end of their days.” There has been uncertainty about Russia’s future political course since Putin suggested in his Wednesday state-of-the-nation address amending the constitution to allow lawmakers to name prime ministers and Cabinet members.