It is rumored that Laos will send 500 engineers to the Russian front to clear mines. After all, seeing North Korea making a lot of money in Russia, Laos is also a bit anxious. Sending an entire engineering battalion to clear mines for some transportation fees is acceptable. This is not going to war; it's just about clearing mines, which is indeed a good approach. North Korea has made a lot of money in Russia, selling everything from guns and ammunition, personnel, rocket launchers, missiles, and armored vehicles, which is truly quite bold.
Laos's military capability is not as strong as North Korea's, but sending 500 engineers to the Russian front can earn dollars just by clearing mines, and it's not something shameful. Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, with a population of only over 7 million, and its economy is relatively underdeveloped, with limited trade with countries around the world.
Laos mainly conducts large-scale trade with China. The China-Laos Railway was built to facilitate Laos, but this still is not enough to change the fact that Laos's economy is relatively poor. Therefore, sending 500 engineers to earn money is an unavoidable situation. After all, mine clearance is not warfare; it's a civilian relief effort. Mine clearance requires professional personnel, and ordinary people cannot do it.
Laos sending specialized engineers to perform this task indeed has its own methods. Regardless of anything else, earning some military funds and living expenses is certainly good. A penny can trouble even a hero. Going out to earn money is not a big problem. Although NATO countries may strongly oppose it, even impose sanctions on Laos, as Laos is a landlocked country, any sanctions would have little effect.
Laos's main trading partner is China, and not trading with European countries is not a big deal. This is the current reality.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836877307650120/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.