Moscow – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday dismissed a veteran, once close adviser who until recently managed Moscow’s relations with war-torn Ukraine.
Putin fired Vladislav Surkov, seen as a hardliner by many in Kiev, in a terse two-line statement on the Kremlin website. His sacking, which coincided with a flare-up in fighting in eastern Ukraine, had been rumoured for weeks.
The decree was issued a week after the Kremlin said a senior Ukrainian-born Russian official, Dmitry Kozak, was now in charge of managing Moscow’s relations with Ukraine, effectively sidelining Surkov.
Relations between Moscow and Kiev unravelled after Russia annexed …read more
Source:: Independent Online
