The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) links the dismissal of Dmitry Kozak, the deputy chief of staff of the Kremlin, to his disagreement with vladimir putin's policy on the war. Kozak has repeatedly advocated negotiations with Ukraine, but the decision to remove him indicates putin's readiness to continue hostilities and adhere to maximalist demands.
According to ISW, on September 17, russian media reported that Kozak "resigned" on September 13-14 and is considering options for moving into business. However, in the Kremlin, it is likely that putin and his entourage, in particular Sergei Kiriyenko, could have initiated his resignation.
Kozak is known as the only participant in the meeting of the russian Security Council in February 2022 who spoke out against a full-scale invasion. He also proposed an agreement at the beginning of the war that would guarantee Ukraine's neutrality without NATO membership, but putin rejected it because of his desire to annex Ukrainian territories.
In recent months, Kozak has advised putin to stop the war and move on to negotiations, which has led to a loss of influence. His resignation finally consolidates control of Kiriyenko, who has already taken over the direction of Ukraine and Moldova.
As a reminder, Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak, one of vladimir putin's closest associates, recently called on the russian leader to stop fighting in Ukraine and begin peace talks.
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