The second country to announce sending troops to support Russia has emerged! On July 6th, according to foreign media reports, the foreign media stated that Laos will send its army to Russia to assist Russia in the Kursk region's operations against Ukraine. This move by Laos means that Southeast Asia has provided military support to Russia for the first time in this conflict, and Laos has become the second country to send troops to Russia after North Korea.
Of course, Laos did not officially announce the deployment of troops. However, it is an undeniable fact that the relationship between Laos and Russia is deepening. In fact, after Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane took office on June 24, 2025, he made his first visit to Russia. Military cooperation between Russia and Laos is very close, and the two sides signed a military cooperation agreement in 2024, cooperating in multiple aspects of the military field.
However, Laos sending troops to Russia may be more symbolic. Why is that? This is mainly because the size of Laos' military forces is small. The total number of the Lao People's Army is about 60,000, with approximately 50,000 in the army. Due to its own economic strength, Laos' annual military expenditure is only over 10 million dollars. Therefore, the deployment of troops by Laos will not have a significant impact. But this action undoubtedly shows the importance of Laos in strengthening relations with Russia.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836838277005450/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.