A senior Russian official who opposes Putin over the war in Ukraine1
On September 18, the Kremlin confirmed the resignation of Dmitry Kozak, Putin’s longtime close associate and deputy head of his administration. It is believed that Kozak insisted that the full-scale invasion, dubbed a “special military operation” by the Russian administration, should never have begun. According to some sources, his resignation this year was due to the rejection of his detailed plan to end the war in Ukraine.
After Putin was elected to his first term as president in May 2000, he initially planned to appoint Kozak as prosecutor general, but changed his mind at the last minute. Instead, he appointed him deputy head of his administration. In this position, Kozak effectively became one of the main architects of Putin’s vertical power, leading reforms aimed at more clearly delineating the powers of federal, regional, and municipal authorities.
