Putin fires deputy head of Kremlin administration who opposed war in Ukraine
Dmitry Kozak (Photo: kremlin.ru)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Dmitry Kozak from his position as Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Russia. The reason cited was Kozak’s critical stance on the war in Ukraine, according to Russian media.
Russian media published Putin’s decree on Kozak’s dismissal. However, the document is not available on the official Kremlin website.
Who is Dmitry Kozak
Dmitry Kozak is a Russian statesman who worked with Putin in the St. Petersburg city administration in the 1990s and is considered his longtime ally.
Throughout his career, he has held various positions in government bodies and the Presidential Administration of Russia, including Deputy and First Deputy Head of the Kremlin Administration.
In 2020, Kozak returned to Putin’s administration and began working on issues related to the temporarily occupied Donbas region.
Kozak’s dismissal
Russian media first reported Kozak’s dismissal on September 17.
In August, The New York Times published an article citing sources that claimed Kozak, in a private conversation with Putin, allegedly called the invasion of Ukraine a mistake. Following this, his influence in the Kremlin reportedly weakened significantly.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that Kozak served as a mediator during peace negotiations with Ukraine at the start of the war. The politician allegedly proposed a deal to end the war in exchange for Kyiv renouncing NATO membership, but Putin rejected the proposal due to his desire to fully occupy Ukraine.
