kozak and putin

kozak and putin – Google Search  google.com/search?q=kozak+an…
Dmitry Kozak was a long-time and close aide to Vladimir Putin, working with him since their time in the St. Petersburg mayor’s office in the 1990s. Kozak held several high-level positions in the Russian government under Putin but recently resigned from his role as deputy chief of staff of the presidential administration after reportedly opposing the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Relationship and career

Shared history: Both men are lawyers by training and worked together in the 1990s in the city administration of St. Petersburg under Mayor Anatoly Sobchak.
Trust and positions: Putin brought Kozak to Moscow in the early 2000s and entrusted him with top government roles, including as a deputy prime minister for nearly 12 years.
Professional and personal connection: Some observers note their relationship extended beyond purely professional duties, although they were not considered close friends. [1, 4]

Alleged opposition to the Ukraine invasion

Reported disagreement: According to reports, Kozak privately expressed that he believed the invasion of Ukraine was a mistake.
Unsuccessful negotiations: Some sources suggest he tried to negotiate a truce, and that Putin rejected a deal that Kozak had struck with Ukraine.
Western contacts: Kozak reportedly acted as a conduit for discussions with Western officials and asked for arguments to potentially persuade Putin to change course, as detailed in The New York Times. [2, 5, 6, 7]

Recent events

Resignation: Kozak resigned from his post as deputy chief of staff of the presidential administration in September 2025.
Possible reasons: His departure followed public reports of his alleged opposition to the war. [2, 3, 8]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  kyivindependent.com/what-the…
[2]  nytimes.com/2025/09/18/world…
[3]  interfax.com/newsroom/top-st…
[4]  rferl.org/a/kozak-resigns-pu…
[5]  nytimes.com/2025/08/10/world…
[6]  youtube.com/watch?v=YzDNOQN5…
[7]  russiapost.info/politics/sur…
[8]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitry…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 28, 2025