Putin dismisses Kozak, deputy head of Russian presidential administration
Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has dismissed Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak, who advocated ending the war.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Ukrainska Pravda.
It is noted that the decree on Kozak's dismissal appeared on Putin's website on 18 September, a few days after sources reported on these plans.
What preceded it?
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing a Russian political scientist, reported that Kozak was the only participant in the Russian Security Council meeting on 21 February 2022 who opposed a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In August 2025, The New York Times wrote that Dmitry Kozak had suggested to Putin that he end the war in Ukraine and start peace talks.
Journalists noted that Kozak had disappointed Putin with this suggestion. After that, many of Kozak's powers were transferred to Sergey Kiriyenko.
The publication reported 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.
A Western source stated that Kozak asked for ideas to convince Putin to change course.
