An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the conductor of the Munich Philharmonic has been fired from his position in response to the full-scale invasion launched against Ukraine last Thursday.

The mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter, said in a statement that Valery Gergiev, who had served as the chief conductor for the symphony, was let go after he did not condemn Putin’s actions regarding the invasion, according to the New York Times. Gergiev, who has previously endorsed Putin’s reelection efforts and has known him since the early ’90s, was fired from his position three years shy of his contract expiring.