By Apoorva Shukla

Copyright timesnownews

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s one of the closest associates, Dmitry Kozak, has resigned from his post. The Kremlin confirmed that Dmitry Kozak, the Deputy Head of Russia’s Presidential Administration, has resigned. Kozak had worked alongside Putin since the 1990s, when the two men were together in the administration of St. Petersburg, Russia’s second largest city. He played a key role in overseeing the organisation of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “I can confirm that Dmitry Nikolayevich Kozak has resigned. At his own request.” According to a report by RBC news outlet, Kozak had sent a resignation letter and was considering various options to go into business. Kozak’s resignation has been accepted, and September 19 would be his last day in office, reported The Kyiv Independent. According to the report, Kozak was born in Ukraine’s Kirovohrad Oblast in 1958 and left to study in Soviet-era Leningrad. He never maintained a professional relationship with his home country throughout his career, the report said. Kozak has been serving as Russia’s deputy PM since 2008, his role evolved in 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Kozak was tasked with the integration of Crimea. The New York Times had previously reported that Kozak had privately advised Putin against launching a “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022. He had, earlier this year, also presented Putin a plan aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war and initiating domestic reforms.