If redhat decided to add new features to python 2.7, I'm sure the PSF would make a stink
You probably confusing it with Tauton (a Python 2.7 with backported Python 3 features) that tried to place itself as Python 2.8. By backporting these changes they created essentially 3rd version of Python that was incompatible with other 2.
Maybe they could call the new 2.7 interpreter IceSnake.
> As such, stating accurately that software ... is compatible with the Python programming language, or that it contains the Python programming language, is always allowed.
Canonical will not provide long term support for Python 2 as part of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. In Ubuntu 20.04, Python 2 is a "universe" package [2] that does not receive updates by Canonical. This means that the you will only get Python 2 security update guarantees with Ubuntu is on 18.04 LTS until April 2023.
Debian is making an active effort [3] to remove Python 2 and packages that depend on it for its next release. It'll likely support Python 2 as part of Debian Buster until 2024.
Note that if you're reading this to delay your move to Python 3 by another few years, you're doing it wrong. This list shows even all slow enterprise-y distros have a deadline for Python 2, not that you can stretch your stuff for a couple of more years :)
[1]: https://access.redhat.com/solutions/4455511
Otherwise even if your python has security patches for next 4 years, it won't do you any good when you find a bug in one of your dependencies and bugfix is in a version that's python 3 only
> During DebConf19 we¹ have tried to figure out how to manage Python 2 and PyPy module removal from Debian and below is our proposal. [0]
Debian are in the midst of a large project [1] to remove Python 2 as quickly as they possibly can. Whilst some bugfixes may happen, Debian are already telling you in no uncertain terms:
> port upstream package to python3
> remove any Python 2 use
[0] https://lists.debian.org/debian-python/2019/07/msg00080.html
