Vladimir Putin had two terms as President.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ( ˈ ; born 7 October 1952 ) is the current President of the Russian Federation , holding the office since 7 May 2012 . He was Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 , President from 2000 to 2008 , and again Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012 . During his second term as Prime Minister , he was the Chairman of the ruling United Russia Party . He was re-elected President in 2004 with 72 % of the vote . In September 2011 , after presidential terms were extended from four to six years , Putin announced he would seek a third term as president .