Kozak offered Putin to end war and start negotiations - NYT
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian President Dmitry Kozak recently suggested that dictator Putin end the war in Ukraine and start peace talks.
According to Censor.NET, The News York Times writes this with reference to Kremlin sources.
According to the publication, Kozak recently told his colleagues that he had presented Putin with a proposal to end hostilities and hold peace talks.
"They added that Mr. Kozak had indicated that he had also urged Mr. Putin to undertake domestic overhauls, including placing Russia’s powerful security agencies under government oversight and building an independent judiciary," NYT writes.
The journalists note that Kozak has disappointed dictator Putin, because he "has made it clear that he believes the invasion of Ukraine was a mistake". Today, many of Kozak's powers have been transferred to Sergey Kiriyenko.
The newspaper writes that Kozak is the only high-ranking official in Putin's entourage who openly speaks out against the war. However, he does not voice this criticism publicly.
"Mr. Kozak’s push is unlikely to sway Mr. Putin, who is largely surrounded by people who stoke his hard-line demands on Ukraine. But it reflects the frustration coursing through parts of the Moscow elite over Mr. Putin’s unwillingness to compromise in the war and over the increasingly unchecked power of the security services," the article states.
Despite his loss of influence, Kozak has retained some access to Putin, the sources say. The fact that Putin keeps him around reflects the Russian ruler's loyalty to his longtime aides.
Journalists write that Putin may have used Kozak as an intermediary for unofficial contacts with the West. One such person stated that they had met with him several times since 2022 and that Kozak had made it clear that he did not agree with the invasion.
"Give me arguments," Mr. Kozak often said, according to the Western interlocutor. As that person saw it, Mr. Kozak was asking for ideas to persuade Mr. Putin to change course," NYT writes.
