MOSCOW – On Tuesday, Russain President Vladimir Putin approved constitutional changes that would allow him to remain president until the year 2036. Mr. Putin claims that Russia needs him in order to become politically mature in a post-soviet world. During this, he compared himself to former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served four presidential terms during World War II while his country was facing upheaval.

(Compiled from Reuters by Maren Blakeney, original reporting by Andrew Osborn & Tom Balmforth)