Laos would bolster its geopolitical balancing act while Russia could experiment with a new military-political partnership model that it might then fine-tune for its other Global South partners.
"... So long as Laos and whoever else only carry out non-combat roles within Russia’s universally recognized borders, then they likely don’t need to fear Western sanctions,...".
Trump is quick to apply sanctions to any nation and/or individual regardless of sovereign activities and territorial borders.
I'm too used to Russian milbloggers using Laos as a term for the sclerotic and backward aspects of the Russian military bureaucracy (especially the airforce, and their refusal to defend their assets properly), which makes this a... nuanced... read.
There are SO MANY UXO/land mine contaminated regions in Africa and Eurasia left over from the many, many post WWII conflicts. They are a huge drag on those areas through medical care of the UXO maimed rural people and lost productivity from land unsafe to cultivate. This may suit the West who value those areas only for their natural resources and wish to stunt their development into peer status, but BRICS aren't following that model, right?
If the Russian Federation/PRC/Iran bloc wanted to take on & train deminers from EVERYWHERE they were needed, using them in the mined areas of Kursk & the several (ex Ukrainian) oblasts? Then pay them back with logistical/financial support for ongoing demining work when they went back home after that extensive on the job training? RF et alia might develop some serious foreign policy cache and global reach (and yes, get to sell them stuff as well). Plus, getting rid of all that UXO around the world would make it a better place from Afghanistan to Laos and on through Mozambique, Venezuela (and many points in between).
Are the Ukrainian military intelligence crying about it? Those sore losers. They have have help from more than 50 nations but foam at the mouth because of 1 nation allegedly helping Russia. Lol.
For Laos, this could diversify its strategic bets beyond China and the West while deepening ties with a long-standing partner. The Global South may increasingly find value in such non-aligned arrangements, especially when they avoid direct combat roles and sanctions exposure.
It would be great if the non aligned and less developed were courted through competitive and symbiotic offers for developing their resources instead of suborned via color revolutions, bombing and sanctions into coughing them up for a pittance provided to their newly installed dictators. However, that would leave less of their resources available for others to get their hands on... And somehow, that will probably matter even to those claiming to want a different international order such as PRC & RF. How to get past this?
"... So long as Laos and whoever else only carry out non-combat roles within Russia’s universally recognized borders, then they likely don’t need to fear Western sanctions,...".
Trump is quick to apply sanctions to any nation and/or individual regardless of sovereign activities and territorial borders.
I'm too used to Russian milbloggers using Laos as a term for the sclerotic and backward aspects of the Russian military bureaucracy (especially the airforce, and their refusal to defend their assets properly), which makes this a... nuanced... read.
There are SO MANY UXO/land mine contaminated regions in Africa and Eurasia left over from the many, many post WWII conflicts. They are a huge drag on those areas through medical care of the UXO maimed rural people and lost productivity from land unsafe to cultivate. This may suit the West who value those areas only for their natural resources and wish to stunt their development into peer status, but BRICS aren't following that model, right?
If the Russian Federation/PRC/Iran bloc wanted to take on & train deminers from EVERYWHERE they were needed, using them in the mined areas of Kursk & the several (ex Ukrainian) oblasts? Then pay them back with logistical/financial support for ongoing demining work when they went back home after that extensive on the job training? RF et alia might develop some serious foreign policy cache and global reach (and yes, get to sell them stuff as well). Plus, getting rid of all that UXO around the world would make it a better place from Afghanistan to Laos and on through Mozambique, Venezuela (and many points in between).
Are the Ukrainian military intelligence crying about it? Those sore losers. They have have help from more than 50 nations but foam at the mouth because of 1 nation allegedly helping Russia. Lol.
For Laos, this could diversify its strategic bets beyond China and the West while deepening ties with a long-standing partner. The Global South may increasingly find value in such non-aligned arrangements, especially when they avoid direct combat roles and sanctions exposure.
@Alexander Fernandez
It would be great if the non aligned and less developed were courted through competitive and symbiotic offers for developing their resources instead of suborned via color revolutions, bombing and sanctions into coughing them up for a pittance provided to their newly installed dictators. However, that would leave less of their resources available for others to get their hands on... And somehow, that will probably matter even to those claiming to want a different international order such as PRC & RF. How to get past this?