Zelensky Says Kursk Operation Has Changed Perceptions About "Red Lines"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a statement on X, arguing that the ongoing Ukrainian military operation in Russia's Kursk region has caused a "significant ideological shift," in the concept of "red lines regarding Russia."

• Zelenskyy: "The Russian border area opposite our Sumy region has been mostly cleared of Russian military presence. A few months ago, many people around the world would have said this was impossible and crossed Russia’s strictest “red line”. That is why no one knew about our preparations."
• Zelenskyy: "...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 somewhere near Sudzha."
• Zelenskyy adds: "As of today, our forces control over 1,250 square kilometers of Kursk’s territory and 92 settlements."
• Zelenskyy's comments appear to be directed at Western backers who have been reluctant to provide Ukraine with weapons that could be used to strike targets within Russia due to concerns that any escalation could raise the risk of a wider war between Russia and NATO.
• In the lengthy statement, Zelenskyy makes several demands to backers including the relaxation of restrictions on western-supplied long-range missiles, which he says would limit the need for operations like Kursk; a call for tighter sanctions on Russia shadow tanker fleet and bilateral trade with Iran and North Korea and; more funds to optimise drone production in Ukraine.