Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday that the Ukrainian assault on Russia’s Kursk Oblast shows that Moscow’s red lines and threats of retaliation are a bluff.
Zelensky made the comments while criticizing the US and its NATO allies for not allowing Ukraine to use Western-provided weapons to launch long-range strikes inside Russian territory.
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| Illustrative, prior attack on southern Russia. Administration of the Kursk region of Russia via AP |
"We are witnessing a significant ideological shift – the naive, illusory concept of so-called red lines regarding Russia, which dominated the assessment of the war by some partners, has crumbled apart these days," he said.
The Ukrainian leader claimed that if Ukraine had been allowed to fire NATO weapons deep inside Russia, it wouldn’t have had to launch the offensive in Kursk.
He also claimed that long-range strikes would stop Russia’s gains in eastern Ukraine, which have become more rapid amid the fighting in Kursk.
"You must realize, both here and in the capitals where you work, that Ukraine is separated from stopping the advance of the Russian army at the front by only one decision, which we expect from our partners. And this is a decision on long-range capabilities," he said.
While the US hasn’t signed off on long-range strikes in Russia, it is allowing Ukraine to use US-provided weapons in Kursk, and Russian officials have said US-provided HIMARS have been used in the assault. The invasion came a few months after President Biden gave Ukraine the greenlight to use US weapons in strikes on Russian border regions.
A US-backed invasion of Russia risks a major response from Moscow despite Zelensky downplaying the threat. Throughout the war, Russia has escalated in direct response to Ukrainian attacks on its territory.
Work of the Marder IFV of the 95th Brigade of Ukraine in Kursk region. https://t.co/cBGSjg1PiB pic.twitter.com/1KKInr1vwS
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) August 20, 2024
For example, Russia did not start the large-scale targeting of energy infrastructure in Ukraine until the first bombing of the Crimean Bridge, which took place in October 2022.
The use of NATO weapons inside Russian territory also increases the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and the Western military alliance, which could quickly turn into nuclear war.
