Neutral country

A neutral country is a sovereign state that chooses not to take sides in wars or conflicts. Some neutral countries stay out of all future wars and avoid joining military groups like NATO, CSTO, or the SCO. Because they are neutral, people from these countries are usually safer during wars than other people who are not fighting.

Different countries see neutrality in different ways. For example, Costa Rica has no army, while Switzerland keeps a strong army but does not send soldiers to fight in other countries. Some neutral countries, like Austria and Ireland, still help keep peace around the world by joining UN peacekeeping forces and working together in the European Union.

In the past, many countries changed how they thought about neutrality. For instance, Sweden used to stay out of all military groups but later joined some efforts. During big fights like World War II and the Cold War, countries like Yugoslavia tried to stay neutral between different powerful sides. Neutrality can help keep the world from splitting into just two big groups, allowing all countries to stay equal and peaceful.

Terminology

A neutral country in a particular war is a sovereign state that chooses not to join either side of the conflict. It follows special rules under international law to stay out of the fighting. Countries can decide to be neutral when a war starts, but they don’t have to.

Some countries promise to stay neutral forever, no matter what wars happen in the future. This is called being a permanently neutral power. Switzerland is an example—it agrees to stay out of all wars, which gives it special rights under international agreements.

There is also a idea called neutralism, where a country plans to stay out of future wars. If a country keeps the right to fight back if attacked, it is in a state of armed neutrality. A non-belligerent state helps one side of a war in other ways, like letting its land be used, but does not actually fight in the war. This is different from neutrality and is not covered by special international rules.

Rights and responsibilities of a neutral power

Belligerents cannot attack or enter the land of a country that stays neutral. If soldiers from fighting sides reach a neutral country's land, that country must keep them safe but does not have to keep escaped prisoners of war.

Fighting sides cannot use neutral lands to move their soldiers or supplies, but they can ask to use communication tools. Ships from fighting sides can stop in neutral ports for up to one day, but they cannot stay longer unless they need quick fixes to keep sailing. If one fighting side's ship is already in the port, the other side's ship must leave first. Any ship taken by a fighting side in the waters around a neutral country must be given back to that neutral country, along with its crew.

Recognition and codification

Neutrality is when a country chooses not to fight in wars. Sometimes, other countries agree to respect this choice. For example, Switzerland and Belgium got their neutrality recognized after the Congress of Vienna. Austria has its neutrality guaranteed by countries that once occupied it, and Finland had its neutrality backed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Countries can show their neutrality in different ways, like through special agreements or by writing it into their laws. Austria and Japan have written their neutrality into their constitutions, but they do it in different levels of detail. Some rules are left for the government to decide, while others are clearly stated, like Austria not allowing foreign military bases. Other countries, like Sweden, did not write down their neutrality but still allowed some troops to pass through during the Second World War.

Armed neutrality

Armed neutrality is when a country stays out of a war but is ready to defend itself if attacked. This means the country will not join any side in the fight but will use its military to protect its own land if needed.

Some countries, like Switzerland and Sweden, have long histories of armed neutrality. They stayed out of both World War I and World War II by being ready to defend themselves. Other countries, such as Costa Rica, choose not to have a big military and rely on agreements with stronger nations for protection.

Historically, groups of countries also formed leagues of armed neutrality to protect their shipping during wars. The first league was created in 1780 by Catherine the Great of Russia and other Nordic countries. A second league tried to do the same during the late 1700s but ended after conflicts with Britain. There were discussions about a third league during the American Civil War, but it never happened.

Peacekeeping

For some countries like Ireland, being neutral doesn’t mean they can’t help others. They believe taking part in United Nations peacekeeping missions is part of staying neutral. However, in 1994, the people of Switzerland voted against joining UN peacekeeping operations. Even so, Switzerland has sent 23 observers and police to help with UN projects around the world.

Points of debate

The idea of whether some countries are truly as neutral as they say can be debated, and this depends on how each country understands its neutrality.

European Union

See also: Neutral member states in the European Union

Three members of the European Union still call themselves neutral in some way: Austria, Ireland, and Malta. As the EU develops its security policies, people argue about how neutral these countries really are.

For example, Ireland wants guarantees that its neutrality is protected in EU treaties. Ireland says neutrality does not mean avoiding all international work, like peacekeeping. Since the Lisbon Treaty, EU members must help each other if one is attacked, but this does not change the special security policies of neutral members. Ireland’s constitution does not allow it to join a common defence.

When the EU started Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in 2017 to work more on defence, neutral countries could choose to join or not. Most did, but opinions differ. Some in Ireland thought joining PESCO meant losing neutrality. The government said Ireland could join helpful parts like fighting terrorism and keeping peace, but would not buy big war ships or planes. Malta has not joined PESCO and is waiting to see how it changes before deciding.

Neutrality during World War II

Main article: Neutral powers during World War II

Many countries said they would be neutral during World War II. In Europe, only Andorra, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland (with Liechtenstein), and Vatican City (the Holy See) stayed neutral until the end.

But even these countries did not always follow neutrality rules exactly. Ireland shared secret weather information that helped decide the date of D-Day and let Allied planes use airspace to attack German ships, though any pilots who crashed in Ireland were kept safe. Sweden and Switzerland also made deals with both sides. Spain helped Nazi Germany in some ways and sent soldiers to fight for them. Portugal stayed officially neutral but helped both sides in different ways. The United States started neutral but later helped the Allies by allowing them to borrow and buy weapons.

Sweden also let a German army move through its country by train, which caused some political trouble. Vatican City made diplomatic deals with both sides while trying to stay neutral.

List of countries proclaiming to be neutral

Some countries sometimes say they are "neutral," but they might not follow the rules that most countries agree on for being neutral.

List of formerly neutral countries