MOSCOW (AP) — On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his intention to run for another six-year presidential term starting in 2024, which would put him closer to surpassing Joseph Stalin as the longest-serving Russian leader.

The announcement was not made by Putin or the Kremlin, but rather by a Russian military officer who revealed that Putin had agreed to run after being asked to do so by soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

The low-key announcement was interpreted by some as a deliberate move to portray Putin as modest and focused on real affairs, particularly in the midst of the conflict in Ukraine. Others believe that it may be an indication that Putin is too preoccupied to openly campaign for reelection.

About an hour after the officer’s initial remarks were reported by state media, Russian state TV aired a clip of the conversation between the officer and Putin, in which the president confirmed his candidacy, saying it was “time to make decisions.”

Putin has effectively been in power since 2000, except for a brief period when he swapped roles with Dmitry Medvedev in 2008. He pushed through a constitutional reform in 2012 that extended the presidential term from four years to six, and in 2020, orchestrated changes that could potentially allow him to remain in power until 2036, when he would be 84 years old.

Despite the highly-skewed election system in Russia, where the Kremlin controls most news media and bars anti-Kremlin figures from running in elections, Putin’s reelection in March is widely expected. Additionally, state propaganda maintains high support for Putin and the war in Ukraine, which is seen as a battle for Russia’s survival against the West.