The geometric meaning of Zhelobenko operators

Let g be the complex semisimple Lie algebra associated to a complex semisimple algebraic group G, b a Borel subalgebra of g, h the Cartan sublagebra contained in b and N the unipotent subgroup of G corresponding to the nilradical n of b. We show that the explicit formula for the extremal projection operator for g obtained by Asherova, Smirnov and Tolstoy and similar formulas for Zhelobenko operators are related to the existence of a birational equivalence N\times h -> b given by the restriction of the adjoint action. Simple geometric proofs of formulas for the "classical" counterparts of the extremal projection operator and of Zhelobenko operators are also obtained.