Nicola Sturgeon declined to rule out a new vote on Scottish independence next year.
The First Minister said she wants to see a referendum held in the early part of the next Scottish parliament.
She told Sky News: "I want to see it in the early part of the next term of the Scottish parliament rather than the later part."
This could mean a possible vote in autumn 2021.
Sturgeon continued: "I'm not ruling anything out, I'm not ruling anything in.
"There is lots of uncertainty right now due to the pandemic.
"I'm clear that I think for all the reasons I've set out, the sooner Scotland can have the powers of independence so we chart our own future, the better it will be for all of us."
Sturgeon also insisted she has not ruled out a legal challenge in the Supreme Court if Westminster refuses to allow a second independence referendum.
She added: "I have never ruled out having a situation where this question, which has never been determined in courts - of does the Scottish Parliament have the power to have a referendum regardless of what Westminster says, or not? That's never been tested. I have never ruled that out.
"But I don't think that should be the preference.
"Me and Boris Johnson can argue the toss over whether Scotland should be independent or not - it's entirely legitimate for him to argue against it.
"What's not, in my view, legitimate or acceptable is for him to say that's not for the Scottish people to decide and he can somehow stand in the way of democracy."
