Kremlin press secretary says Putin's close associate Kozak resigns at his own request
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claims that Dmitry Kozak, a close ally of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, has resigned from his post as deputy head of the Putin administration at his own request.
Source: Interfax, a Russian news outlet
Quote from Peskov: "I can confirm that Dmitry Kozak has submitted his resignation. At his own request."
Details: Earlier, Russian media, citing sources, reported that Kozak had "stepped down" from his position on 13-14 September and was considering various job offers in business.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) linked Kozak’s resignation to differences of opinion with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. In particular, Kozak had advocated for negotiations with Ukraine.
ISW also noted that according to a Russian political analyst, Kozak was the only member of Russia’s Security Council meeting on 21 February 2022 who spoke out against the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Western and Russian sources pointed out that Kozak had lost influence in the Kremlin in recent months after urging Putin to halt hostilities in Ukraine and begin peace talks.
Background:
- In August, The New York Times, citing Kremlin insiders, reported that Dmitry Kozak had recently advised the Kremlin ruler to stop the war in Ukraine and launch peace negotiations.
- In 2022, Reuters revealed that Kozak told Putin he had reached an early agreement with Ukraine on abandoning NATO membership. However, the Russian leader dismissed the proposal and went ahead with the full-scale invasion.
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