High-ranking Russian officials, likely with the approval of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, have dismissed Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the Kremlin administration, from his position as deputy head of Putin's administration after years of disagreement with the policy regarding the war in Ukraine. This is stated in a material by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reported by UNN.
Details
It is noted that Kozak was the only participant in the meeting of the Russian Security Council on February 21, 2022, who opposed the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kozak mediated an agreement with Ukraine at the beginning of the war that would have prevented Ukraine's NATO membership, but Putin... rejected the agreement because he wanted to annex Ukrainian territory.
They emphasize that Kozak lost his influence in the Kremlin after advising Putin over the past few months to immediately cease hostilities in Ukraine, begin peace negotiations, and reduce the influence of Russian security services.
Reports of Kozak's repeated disagreements with Putin suggest that Putin and, possibly, other influential Kremlin figures, such as Russian Presidential Administration Deputy Head Sergei Kiriyenko, dismissed Kozak from his position or forced him to "resign" independently.
ISW adds that Kozak was previously one of Putin's closest advisors and controlled the Kremlin's strategy in Ukraine before the Kremlin transferred this responsibility to Kiriyenko in 2022.
"Kozak's departure from the Kremlin will consolidate Kiriyenko's power and responsibilities in the presidential administration. Putin's likely decision to remove a prominent high-ranking Kremlin official from his inner circle after expressing a desire to end the war in Ukraine once again indicates that Putin and his advisors are uniting around their commitment to continuing the war in Ukraine and around Putin's maximalist war demands," the analysts conclude.
Context
According to Russian media, Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, has resigned. The politician submitted his resignation letter over the weekend. According to some reports, he will continue his activities in business, but what kind of business is not specified.