Vladimir Putin strongly rejected speculation that he would try to seek a third term, but did not mention who he sees as his preferred successor, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

“The next state of the nation address will be given by another head of state,” he said.

Russia enters a high-stakes political season this year with parliamentary elections in December, followed by presidential elections in March.

Russian officials in recent months have complained that Western countries are trying to meddle in the political process by funding pro-democracy organizations.

Putin echoed those allegations saying that there are people who would like to return the country to the recent past, to rob the people and the state, to strip us of economic and political independence.

Opposition forces charge Putin is strangling democracy through an array of measures to centralize power and increase the influence of large political parties such as his allied United Russia party, which dominates the Russian parliament.

But Putin, in his speech, said it was part of “a revolutionary step modernizing the elections system and it will help the opposition widen its representation.”

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