MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Time and again, Russian President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated that he deserves the rank of general but this is not the leader’s foremost priority, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, when asked if Putin had been promoted to general yet.

"In general, there’s no doubt that the president constantly deserves this rank but that is not his priority right now. He is serving as president and he’s got a lot of work to do," Peskov pointed out. He added that Putin wasn’t a career military officer, "that is why he focuses on other issues related to the day-to-day management of the state."

The Russian presidential spokesman declined to specify whether the head of state was a retired colonel or a reservist colonel. Replying to a question about his own military rank, Peskov said that he was a senior lieutenant.