Russian President Vladimir Putin has removed a high-ranking official from his inner circle. Specifically, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, Dmitry Kozak, has resigned.
According to Modern.az, while Russian media reported that he left “of his own accord,” the U.S. Institute for the Study of War associates this move with Kozak's opposition to the war in Ukraine.
The Institute's analytical material states that the Kremlin leadership, with Putin's consent, removed Kozak from his post, as he had opposed the war in Ukraine for several years:
“Putin's removal of one of his closest associates, who was a proponent of peace, indicates that the Kremlin has fully united around a war strategy.”
Kozak was the only official who opposed a full-scale invasion of Ukraine at the February 2022 meeting of the Russian Security Council. In the early days of the war, he participated in negotiations with Kyiv, proposing a peace agreement in exchange for renouncing NATO membership. However, Putin rejected this plan and decided on the annexation of Ukrainian territories.
Although Kozak repeatedly advised Putin to initiate a ceasefire and peace talks in recent months, his influence within the Kremlin has sharply diminished. Since 2022, responsibility for the Ukrainian direction and now also for Moldova has been transferred to First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergey Kiriyenko. Kozak's departure further strengthens Kiriyenko's positions.
Russian media reports that Dmitry Kozak is now considering offers to transition into the business sector.
