The Kremlin has officially announced Kozak's departure from his position. Russian media are reporting this information citing the presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.
"I confirm that Dmitry Nikolayevich Kozak has submitted a resignation letter of his own volition," he stated during a briefing for journalists.
The corresponding decree has not yet been published, clarified the administration representative.
Dmitry Kozak held the position of Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration since 2020. Previously, he worked for over eleven years as a Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government. The official is among Putin's closest associates.
At the end of August, the president abolished the departments for interregional and cultural ties with foreign countries and for cross-border cooperation, which were overseen by Kozak.
Earlier, The New York Times reported that Kozak had urged Putin to cease military actions and begin a peaceful dialogue. According to the publication, he is the only one in the president's inner circle who openly expressed disagreement with the war.
Political analyst Arkady Dubnov wrote that at a meeting of the Russian Security Council before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kozak was the only one to speak out against the war, pointing to possible negative consequences for the country. His speech lasted about 40 minutes but was not included in the official transcript and was not broadcast.
Dubnov also noted that in the first days of the conflict, Kozak initiated negotiations with Ukraine, but this attempt was unsuccessful. After February 2022, he proposed a series of reforms to Vladimir Putin, including judicial reform, but all his initiatives were rejected.