Ukrainian offensive in Kursk a strategic shift, says French press

The Ukrainian offensive in Russia's Kursk region does not have a strictly military dimension; it is a "strategic demonstration." This is a "turning point" because Kyiv's Western allies are maintaining a reserved stance on the matter, assesses the French daily Le Figaro.

The daily opines in its Tuesday editorial that the offensive in the Kursk region has few purely military objectives. Besides them, it also aims at "increasing the costs of the war for the Russians" and creating a sense that they are not safe, as well as bolstering the morale of Ukrainians.

"Not the least of the stakes" is also "demonstrating to Western countries that the restrictions imposed on the use of their weaponry are unnecessary."

This risky manoeuvre primarily hides a strategic demonstration. The war on the front has reached a stalemate, and something different needs to be tried. If the Kursk diversion forces the Russian military to pull back the frontline in Ukraine, so much the better, but for now, this has not happened, notes "Le Figaro." It adds, however, that even if it is a bluff doomed to fail, "the Russians will not forget it."

For this reason, according to the daily, "Kyiv's allies in the USA and Europe are watching the current events with curiosity and restraint."

"Washington pretends not to be aware and demands explanations from the Ukrainian General Staff, yet no one has questioned the legitimacy of waging war in Russia nor protested against the use of Western weaponry. In this sense, this episode constitutes a new turning point in the conflict," reads "Le Figaro."