Dmitry Kozak. Photo: Kremlin Press Service
The former deputy head of Russia’s Presidential Administration, Dmitry Kozak, who resigned from his position in September, used a letter he wrote to Vladimir Putin explaining his decision to step down to criticise Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, independent Russian media outlet Agentstvo reported on Friday.
Kozak, who for years was a close Putin ally, serving as a deputy prime minister of Russia for 11 years before moving to the Kremlin in 2020, wrote a “very harsh” critique of the decision to invade Ukraine, according to one of Agentstvo’s sources.
Following his resignation, Kozak left Russia for Israel, where he is believed to be undergoing medical treatment, Agentstvo’s sources said. However, despite Kozak’s frankness, he continues to visit Russia regularly and maintains a cordial relationship with his former boss.
The only member of Russia’s Security Council to speak out against the invasion of Ukraine, Kozak’s opposition to the war was hardly a secret, however. In a 2022 speech lasting 40 minutes, Kozak urged the body to consider the negative consequences the decision would have for the country, according to political scientist Arkady Dubnov. Kozak’s speech was expunged from the official transcript of the meeting and was not broadcast on television.
After being charged with leading the initial and ultimately unsuccessful peace negotiations with Ukraine in 2022, Kozak’s influence in the Kremlin quickly began to wane, with all his proposed initiatives rejected by Putin. Many of Kozak’s responsibilities were transferred to fellow Presidential Administration deputy head, Sergey Kiriyenko, The New York Times reported over the summer, a situation that ultimately led to Kozak’s decision to step down.
