“Red lines” from Russia do not exist, they have been violated many times – ISW
19 March 2024 12:13
The military actions that violated or are violating the imaginary “red lines” outlined by Russia to the West have never led to any kind of over-escalation or harsh reaction from Russia. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes about this in its latest analytical report, according to Korespondent ukrainskyi 
As an example, analysts cite Macron’s recent statements that a French military contingent could be sent to Ukraine. These statements have caused great concern in the West, including fears that such actions are a “red line” for Russia, the violation of which threatens a direct military conflict with it and even nuclear war.
However, analysts point out that when Putin was asked about this, he replied that NATO personnel have been in Ukraine for a long time. That is, if this was considered a “red line” for Russia, they believe it has already been crossed. But this has not entailed any serious consequences for the West. Therefore, these “lines” are an illusion of the West and Russian information special operations, according to ISW.
“Putin’s claim that Western military forces are already operating in Ukraine indicates that Putin believes that the West has already crossed this alleged ‘red line’ (if it ever existed). ISW has previously noted that Ukrainian forces and Western aid to Ukraine have crossed Russia’s alleged “red lines” several times during the war without provoking a significant Russian response. This indicates that many of Russia’s ‘red lines’ are likely information operations aimed at deterring Ukraine and the West,”
– the ISW report says.
A perfect illustration of this is the invasion of Russian volunteer units in Russia’s border areas. According to Putin himself, these forces number about 2,500 soldiers, but the only reaction to the violation of this “red line” (invasion of Russian territory) was his statement about the possible need to create a sanitary zone in the Kharkiv region.
