VLADIMIR Putin's top ally Alexander Lukashenko accidentally revealed that the Russian despot has shown him a peace deal.
The Belarus leader has shockingly claimed the deal included a humiliating defeat for Russia over Crimea.
Lukashenko is the Kremlin’s sole ally in Europe and regularly speaks to Putin.
Referring to a draft deal negotiated in Istanbul in spring 2022, he said in an interview with Putin’s 'Iron Doll' Olga Skabeyeva: "Putin gives me a document that was initialled by the delegations.
"Normal, even in the Crimea. There is some kind of long-term lease in the Donbas, in the east… A normal contract."
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However, Moscow furiously denied the documents were a peace deal.
Putin’s spokesman said: "No, it is not so."
Putin's mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov added: "Crimea is an inseparable part of the Russian Federation - it is a Russian region."
Lukashenko went on to say that such a deal is "already impossible".
He continued: "Now it is already the territory of Russia according to the Constitution.
"But there was a normal project, and they already agreed that the Foreign Ministries would initial and then the heads of state should decide, sign and so on.
"It was a good process, but they [Ukraine] refused it."
Lukashenko's claim comes after he boasted that Russian nuclear missiles had arrived in Belarus today and vowed he "won't hesitate" to use them.
He told Belarusian state television: "God forbid I have to make a decision to use those weapons today, but there would be no hesitation if we face an aggression."
On Tuesday Putin said Russian and Ukrainian sides in Istanbul initialled an agreement that he described as "not bad".
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Then the Kyiv authorities "just threw it away afterward, that's all," he said.
Earlier this year Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and discussed proposals for ending the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has welcomed the Chinese peace plan with Putin praising Xi's "balanced approach" to the war.
Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, and Ukraine is demanding the Black Sea peninsula’s return as part of any peace deal to the current war.
Speaking about Ukraine's counteroffensive, a top military expert told The Sun Online Kyiv will go big and focus on retaking annexed Crimea.
General Hodges - former commander of the US Army Europe said: "Ukraine could kill every Russian soldier within 200 miles of Bakhmut and it wouldn't change the strategic situation."
"The key is winning Crimea - that will be the decisive terrain. Once Crimea is liberated, it’s all over, it changes everything.
"Ukraine knows that it will never be safe without taking back Crimea."
Hodges believes Ukraine's tactic would be to isolate the occupied Crimean Peninsula by severing the land bridge from partly-Russian controlled areas and target air bases, Russia's Black Sea Fleet, logistics and command centres.
He added that "when it makes sense to," Kyiv may "again" blow up the Crimean bridge - Putin's favourite bridge that was destroyed last October.
