Top Russian ally accidentally reveals details of ‘peace deal’ regarding Ukraine conflict

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed that the deal outlined a humiliating defeat for Russia concerning Crimea.

During an interview with Olga Skabeyeva, known as Putin’s “Iron Doll”, Lukashenko referred to a draft agreement negotiated in Istanbul in the spring of 2022.

“Putin gives me a document that was initialled by the delegations,” he said.

“Normal, even in the Crimea. There is some kind of long-term lease in the Donbas, in the east … A normal contract.”

Lukashenko further asserted that such a deal was now “already impossible.”

“Now it is already the territory of Russia according to the Constitution. But there was a normal project, and they [Ukraine] 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.”

However, Moscow vehemently denied that these documents constituted a peace deal.

Russia has remained positive its “special military operation” in Ukraine will prevail, laying claim to every inch of the nation’s land.

“Crimea is an inseparable part of the Russian Federation – it is a Russian region,” Dmitry Peskov, the mouthpiece of the Russian leader, added.

This revelation by Lukashenko comes on the heels of his earlier boast that Russian nuclear missiles had arrived in Belarus, accompanied by his unwavering vow to use them without hesitation if faced with aggression.

Lukashenko declared during an interview with 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.”

Meanwhile, Putin, in a statement on Tuesday, mentioned that the Russian and Ukrainian sides had initialled an agreement in Istanbul, which he described as “not bad.”

However, he claimed that the Kyiv authorities had simply discarded the agreement afterwards. Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping earlier this year to discuss proposals for ending the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has expressed its appreciation for the Chinese peace plan, with Putin commending Xi‘s ”balanced approach” to the conflict.

The invasion of Crimea by Russia in 2014 has been a contentious issue, with Ukraine demanding the peninsula‘s return as a condition for any peace deal in the ongoing war.

General Hodges, a prominent military expert, spoke about Ukraine’s counteroffensive and highlighted the significance of reclaiming Crimea. Hodges, the former commander of the US Army Europe, stated, “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 emphasised that Ukraine‘s strategy would likely involve isolating the occupied Crimean Peninsula by severing the land bridge from areas partly controlled by Russia. The Ukrainian forces would target air bases, Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, logistics, and command centres.

He also suggested that if deemed necessary, Kyiv might consider destroying the Crimean bridge once again, an infrastructure project favoured by Putin that was previously demolished in October last year.

As tensions rise and the possibility of a peace deal remains uncertain, the spotlight continues to be on the delicate negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and their respective allies.

Now the tide appears to have finally risen high enough to force Putin into a rare display of weakness.

In the months that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, speculation quickly grew over whether Putin’s military could withstand a long-stretch campaign well beyond its initial estimates. Back in February 2022, Russia had 175,000 troops stationed in regions along the Ukrainian border. Coupled with naval dominance in the Black Sea, forces were expected to topple Ukraine in mere weeks.

The campaign was meant to steamroller into the capital of Kyiv and topple President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government in a few days. However, crippling economic sanctions and a steady flow of weapons provided to Ukraine by the West have stalled Russia’s master plan, as the warring nations continue to trade ground into the European summer.

In a candid admission made this week, the Russian President raised concerns about the inadequacy of military hardware required for a victorious campaign in Ukraine.

Addressing a gathering of pro-war bloggers at the Kremlin on Tuesday, Putin underscored the deficiencies plaguing the Russian armed forces while asserting that Moscow is taking measures to bridge the gap by bolstering weapons production.

According to state media reports, Putin acknowledged the dearth of various critical resources during the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine.

“During the course of the special military operation, it has become clear there are shortages of many things – precision-guided munitions, communications equipment, aircraft, drones and so on,” Putin said, according to state media.

“We have them, but unfortunately we don’t have enough of them.”

Simultaneously, Putin claimed that Russia had witnessed a significant upsurge in weapons production for the battlefield.

Despite his admission, Putin claimed that the Ukraine’s casualties in its much-anticipated counteroffensive were ten times higher than Moscow’s even as Kyiv said it was making gains and “moving forward”.

His assessment came hours after Russia claimed it had captured Western armoured vehicles from Kyiv’s forces on the battlefield.

“Their losses are approaching a level that could be described as catastrophic,” Putin said during a meeting in the Kremlin with Russian journalists and bloggers covering the conflict.

“We have 10 times fewer losses than those of the armed forces of Ukraine,” he noted, citing a ratio that could not be independently confirmed.