The Institute for the Study of War links the dismissal of Dmitry Kozak, one of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's close associates, to disagreements with Putin. Kozak reportedly pushed for talks with Ukraine and his removal indicates the Kremlin leader's desire to continue the war against Ukraine.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Quote: "Senior Kremlin officials, likely with Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval, pushed Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak out of his senior Kremlin position following years of disagreement with Putin's policies about the war in Ukraine…

Putin's likely decision to push an established senior Kremlin official from his inner circle after expressing a desire to end the war in Ukraine further indicates that Putin and his advisors are coalescing around their commitment to continue the war in Ukraine and around Putin's maximalist war demands."

Details: Citing Russian media reports, ISW believes that repeated reports of disagreements between Kozak and Putin suggest that Putin, and possibly other Kremlin officials such as Sergei Kiriyenko, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, either removed Kozak from his post or forced him to "resign".

On 17 September, Russian media reported that two sources familiar with the matter said Kozak "resigned" from his post over the past weekend (13-14 September) and is considering various business offers.

A Russian political analyst stated that Kozak was the only participant in the 21 February 2022 Security Council meeting who spoke against launching the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Kozak acted as a mediator in reaching an agreement with Ukraine at the beginning of the war that would have prevented Ukraine from joining NATO, but Putin reportedly rejected the deal because he wanted to annex Ukrainian territory.

Western and Russian sources had earlier suggested that Kozak lost influence in the Kremlin after repeatedly advising Putin in recent months to immediately halt hostilities in Ukraine, begin peace talks and reduce the role of Russia's security services.

Reports that Kozak is now considering business offers also contradict earlier reports from late August 2025 that he was a candidate for the position of presidential envoy to the Northwestern Federal Okrug, indicating that Putin may have decided in recent weeks to remove him completely.

Kozak had previously been one of Putin's closest advisers and oversaw the Kremlin's strategy in Ukraine before the Kremlin transferred this responsibility to Kiriyenko in 2022. Kiriyenko has also reportedly recently taken over the Kremlin's Moldova portfolio from Kozak.

Kozak's departure from the Kremlin will consolidate Kiriyenko's power and responsibilities within Putin's administration.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon !