Information about Kozak’s supposedly “peaceful” views is based on stories from certain “Kremlin insiders.” I am convinced: such “insiders” do not exist in a free vacuum — these reports are coordinated within the Russian presidential administration and then passed on to Western journalists. For what purpose? To push the desired narrative.We are being led to believe that at a well-known Security Council meeting, Kozak spoke “against the war,” and that part of his speech was later removed. In fact, the meeting did not address the war with Ukraine at all — it concerned the recognition of the “people’s republics.” Kozak, along with Naryshkin, was one of the officials discussing the further annexation of these territories to Russia. And even at the end of the meeting, no one publicly knew the precise borders in which these “republics” were recognized — meaning the question of war or peace was not on the table.We are also being fed the myth that Kozak convinced Putin that Ukraine had allegedly agreed not to join NATO, so there was no reason for war. This is a typical Kremlin narrative picked up by Western media. Ukraine’s NATO membership was never the main reason for aggression — Finland’s example proves this. The true reason for the war is the very existence of a sovereign Ukraine. Kozak’s task was different: to lure Ukrainian leaders into political traps, destabilize Ukraine, and help destroy its statehood through political, not only military, means.Dmitry Kozak indeed tried to operate this way — just as he did previously in Moldova — so his frustration in the latest rounds of negotiations comes as no surprise. He may have believed he could still “work” to destroy Ukraine without direct combat. But this is the difference between those who think the enemy can be destroyed politically and those ready to “cut off the head” by force.Thus, the story about Kozak is not a private drama of a Kremlin official. It is a classic example of an information special operation and the promotion of Kremlin narratives. Meanwhile, Putin continues the war and dreams of erasing Ukrainian statehood from the political map of the world. This is, in essence, what Dmitry Kozak has been working on in recent years.SourceAbout the author. Vitaly Portnikov, journalist, laureate of the Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine.The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.