On Jan. 15, it became clear to the people of Russia that they would never again have the opportunity to vote for Vladimir Putin. It also became clear that they would live with him for the foreseeable future.

In his annual State of the Nation address, Mr. Putin promised that he would step aside in 2024 when his current term expires. At the same time he outlined a series of sweeping constitutional changes that would most likely go into force this year: Russia would remain a presidential republic but future presidents would be limited to two terms in office. Parliament would have the right to appoint government ministers, including the prime minister. (Currently, they are selected by the president and approved by Parliament.)

The changes would also confer additional powers to the State Council, which is now a fairly low-profile advisory body, leading many to believe that Mr. Putin imagines himself as the council’s chairman after 2024. The result would be that in four years Mr. Putin could step aside and focus on running the world while his aides focused on running Russia.

Why has Russia’s powerful president chosen this route? In 2018, President Xi Jinping of China changed his country’s Constitution to allow himself to be president for life. Mr. Putin could easily have done the same, but decided against it. But Mr. Putin’s timing raises questions: Why did he present his constitutional initiative now, four years before the end of his term, in a manner that resembles a palace coup more than a political reform?