According to The New York Times, at the start of the full-scale invasion, Dmitry Kozak refused to follow Vladimir Putin's instruction and present Ukraine with an ultimatum to surrender. He declared his readiness to face arrest or even execution.

In the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, former deputy head of the Russian presidential administration Dmitry Kozak refused to carry out Vladimir Putin's order, which involved calling on Kyiv to surrender. According to The New York Times, citing its sources, Kozak stated he was prepared for arrest or even execution but would not carry out this order.