Kremlin’s Ukraine Negotiator Kozak Faded From View After Disagreeing With Putin’s War Aims
Moscow – Dmitry Kozak, once considered one of the Kremlin’s most influential figures on Ukraine, quietly lost favor with President Vladimir Putin after privately opposing the 2022 invasion and attempting to negotiate a peace deal that was ultimately rejected, according to reports from forbes, Reuters, and The New York Times. Kozak, who had long served as a key liaison between Russia and Ukraine, has largely disappeared from public view since, despite maintaining some level of access to Putin due to years of personal loyalty.
kozak’s fall from grace underscores the risks of dissenting within Putin’s inner circle and highlights a pivotal moment in the ongoing conflict. Sources indicate Kozak voiced opposition to the ”special military operation” even before its launch on February 24, 2022, reportedly arguing against hostilities during a Security Council meeting on February 21st. Following the invasion,he engaged in negotiations with Kyiv,achieving preliminary agreements on critical issues,including Ukraine’s non-alignment with NATO. However,Putin ultimately dismissed these concessions and opted to continue the war.
The New York Times reported in August 2022 that Kozak presented Putin with alternative proposals to end the fighting and initiate peace talks, a move that apparently “disappointed” the president and diminished Kozak’s influence. While he “retained some access to Putin” due to the president’s “personal loyalty to his longtime associates,” his responsibilities were curtailed, with areas like Ukraine and Transnistria removed from his official purview in 2022.
Kozak has remained silent throughout the conflict, declining to comment on reports of his resignation. He has been sanctioned by the United states, the European Union, and Ukraine for his support of Russian aggression. Despite his diminished role,details emerging about Kozak’s personal history reveal a complex connection to Ukraine; years before the invasion,he reportedly funded the restoration of his ancestors’ graves in the Ukrainian village of Bandurovo,where a cousin remained at the time of the invasion.
Kozak’s legacy within the Kremlin is now inextricably linked to the failed negotiations and internal disagreements surrounding the war in Ukraine, marking a critically important shift for a figure who once held considerable sway over Russia’s policy toward its neighbor.
