He did not agree with the war and wanted peace: Putin got rid of Kozak — ISW

The dismissal of Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak from his Kremlin position is another signal that the Russian leadership, including Vladimir Putin, is not interested in ending the war against Ukraine.

This is stated in a new report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

ISW analysts suggest that Kozak was removed from his post because of his disagreement with Putin’s military policy. According to Western and Russian sources, Kozak has repeatedly advocated a diplomatic solution to the conflict, in particular, negotiations with Ukraine.

“Putin’s likely decision to oust Kozak from his entourage after he expressed a desire to end the war further demonstrates the Russian leadership’s commitment to its continuation,” the report says.

On September 17, Russian media reported that Kozak “resigned” last weekend, September 13–14. He is currently reportedly considering proposals to go into business.

The Russian political scientist noted that Kozak was the only one at the meeting of the Russian Security Council on February 21, 2022, who spoke out against a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He also allegedly developed an agreement with Ukraine that would prevent its entry into NATO — but Putin rejected this initiative because he planned to annex Ukrainian territories.

After Kozak’s resignation, his powers in the Kremlin will finally pass to another key official, Sergei Kiriyenko. He already effectively controls the areas Kozak previously dealt with, in particular, Ukraine and Moldova.

ISW concludes: the personnel decision regarding Kozak strengthens the positions of security forces in Putin’s inner circle and indicates that the Kremlin sees no options for ending the war through diplomatic means.

Recall that this year’s Russian military exercises “West-2025”, which the Kremlin always uses as a demonstration of strength and political pathos, were notable not only for the number of personnel, but also for an unexpected “personnel hole”. At the final phase of the maneuvers in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where Putin personally appeared, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, was absent.

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