MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin boasts unprecedented popular support, and there is hardly any rival political figure who could even theoretically compete with him in next year’s presidential election, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.

Peskov’s statement followed a recent proposal by Chechnya Head Ramzan Kadyrov that the upcoming presidential election be cancelled in view of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

"It is obvious that Putin in our country - especially now, at a time of unprecedented consolidation of the entire society around the president and his ideas - is the unquestionably top-ranked political figure," Peskov said.

"He is a politician who could hardly, even in theory, face any real election competition. This is probably the type of truth that could hardly be disputed by anyone. This is what I believe Ramzan Kadyrov meant by his proposal," Peskov added.

As of today, Putin has not made any official statements indicating his plans to seek re-election by participating in Russia’s 2024 presidential election.

Last Saturday, on October 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin turned 71. This year also marks Putin's 20th year as Russia's president.

Although October 7 fell on a weekend this year, Putin worked anyway as he attended the ceremonial launch of the Russian natural gas supplies pipeline to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan jointly with his Kazakh and Uzbek counterparts, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, respectively.