Russia's ambassador to North Korea has stated that North Korean labourers could be used to rebuild the Donbass. The Donbass is the region of Ukraine made up of Luhansk and Donetsk both of whom are according to Russia independent republics. Cities in the Donbass are flattened after 5 months of war and are the scene of ongoing warfare.
Ambassador Alexander Matsegora told the Russian newspaper Izvestia in an interview, that North Korean labourers could be used to rebuild the area once the war ends. He said:
"Highly qualified and hard-working Korean builders, who are capable of working in the most difficult conditions, could help us restore our social, infrastructure and industrial facilities."
North Korea is one of the very few countries in the world that recognise the independence of the Donbass republics and support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. North Korea is a nuclear armed state but is regarded as an international pariah.
The North Korean foreign minister said recently in regard to the war in Ukraine:
"Ukraine has no the right to raise issue or dispute our legitimate exercise of sovereignty after committing an act that severely lacks fairness and justice between nations by actively joining the US unjust and illegal hostile policy in the past."
Dmytro Kuleba, the Ukrainian foreign minister, said that the fact that Russia must rely upon North Korea shows just how isolated Russia has become on the international stage. He said Russia had:
"No more allies in the world, except for countries that depend on it financially and politically."
Thousands of North Korean workers already live and work in Russia and in other nations across the world such as China, Laos, and several African states. These workers are leased out by the North Korean government and often held in slave-like conditions for little or no pay. These schemes generate billions for the North Korean government every year.
[Based on reporting by: The Guardian]
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