China News Network, March 7 (Reporter Meng Xiangjun) The Ukrainian conflict has entered its 12th day, and the two sides have taken the first step towards a political settlement and will wait for the third round of negotiations to begin. Although the analysis generally agrees that it is difficult to achieve a tangible outcome in the current negotiations, the impact of the situation on the world may be greater than expected.
For example, countries emphasize neutrality: on the one hand, Switzerland has rarely broken the tradition of neutrality and announced sanctions against Russia. On the one hand, one of the important conditions proposed by Russia in its negotiations with Ukraine is to require Ukraine to return to neutrality.
What is neutrality? Why is neutrality crucial for some countries?
[Switzerland breaks neutral sanctions against Russia]
On February 27, local time, according to foreign media reports, Switzerland broke its "long-maintained tradition of political neutrality" and announced that it would take measures matching the EU sanctions against Russia in response to Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine.
Swiss Confederation President Cassis said it was a "unique and difficult" decision but "morally necessary". "Our neutrality is unquestionable, and we must leave room for diplomatic mediation, but this will not prevent us from fighting back." Cassis thinks.
The Swiss side will freeze Russian assets in Switzerland, including sanctions against Russian President Putin, Prime Minister Mishustin, and Foreign Minister Lavrov. According to the Russian central bank, between $5 billion and $10 billion in private money flows to Switzerland every year. As a member of the European countries, Switzerland also closed its airspace to Russia, making itself one of the 36 countries countered by Russia.
Infographic: Aeroflot Training Center, pilots use simulators to simulate flights.
Switzerland is happy to be active on the world stage by emphasizing its status as a permanently neutral country. From 2021 to 2022, Russia and the United States will host a series of important meetings in Switzerland, including summits, high-level diplomatic dialogues, and strategic stability consultations.
At the Russia-U.S. Summit in June 2021, more than 5.17 million Swiss francs were spent on security, plus tens of millions of dollars spent on the repair of the meeting villas and the planting of turf. The costs are borne jointly by the Swiss federal, cantonal and municipal governments.
A senior official of the Swiss Federal Parliament commented that the Russian-U.S. summit has enabled "Geneva to return to the centre of political activity and high-level meetings after a difficult period of the pandemic." This is a kind of patent for us. "Geneva is an international forum of multilateral diplomacy, disarmament negotiations and conflict resolution." ”
On June 16, 2021, local time, Russian President Putin and US President Biden met at a villa in Geneva, Switzerland.
At that time, the Kremlin website also published a telegram of Putin's thanks to the Swedish side for hosting the meeting.
Today, Switzerland breaks the tradition of neutrality. According to Reuters, Switzerland is under increasing pressure from both the West and the country as a potential mediator. It is becoming increasingly difficult to balance "taking sides with western countries" and "maintaining traditional neutrality".
For example, a fund to help Ukraine, which has been in operation for only four months, was jointly established by the United States, Britain, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland, and its main role is to "alleviate Russia's destabilizing influence on the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine." ”
【Russia demands Ukrainian neutrality】
On February 28, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out in a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron that Ukraine's problems can only be resolved if the security field is "unconditionally considered in Russia's legal interests."
Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin put forward three conditions: recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea; "de-militarization" and "de-Nazismization" of Ukraine; and guarantee of neutrality in Ukraine.
If Ukraine maintains its neutral status, it will not be allowed to conclude treaties or agreements that contravene that status, in particular treaties of military alliance.
2014 was a major turning point in the situation in Ukraine, when the Yanukovych regime was overthrown and armed clashes broke out in Crimea in Russia, Donetsk and Luhansk. In December of the same year, Umarada (Parliament) passed a law allowing the country to renounce its non-aligned status and restart its nato route.
Source: U.S. Capitol Hill.
The US Congress also passed the military aid bill and the sanctions bill against Russia.
Moscow, for its part, has more than once declared the importance of maintaining Ukraine's non-aligned status. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stressed that this status is important for ensuring the security of the European Atlantic Ocean and conforms to the fundamental interests of Ukraine itself.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev noted that the Kiev regime, by abandoning non-alignment, "turned Ukraine into a potential military rival to Russia."
The Russian Satellite News Agency commented that "Kiev and Moscow are drifting apart, but Washington is ecstatic on the other side of the ocean."
Since then, the seeds of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict have been sown.
Why is neutrality important? 】
The streets of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, are empty and difficult to find pedestrians.
Permanent neutrality generally refers to a country that assumes the obligation of permanent neutrality in foreign relations on the basis of international treaties and consensus.
There are currently 7 permanently neutral countries recognized internationally, namely Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Costa Rica and Turkmenistan. It is the most distributed in Europe, one each in Latin America and Asia.
To become a permanent neutral State, sovereign States are required to voluntarily assume the obligation of permanent neutrality. In addition, other States or international organizations need to recognize and guarantee their relevant status.
In Kiev, Ukraine, smoke hangs over the city.
Permanently neutral States may not wage war against other States except in self-defence; they may not conclude treaties or agreements incompatible with their neutral status, in particular treaties of military alliance; they shall observe the rules of neutrality in wars against other States; and they shall refrain from taking any action involved in the war.
Correspondingly, no State may wage war against a neutral State, nor may it wage war or other military acts on the territory of such a State.
Putin wants Ukraine to return to a state of non-alignment, existing in a neutral position, which is actually the most favorable situation for Russia, Ukraine itself and its neighboring countries. If Ukraine becomes a long-term strategic buffer zone between Russia and NATO, it should be able to play the role of "fire extinguishing valve" and "speed bump" and reduce the possibility of direct conflict between Russia and NATO. For Ukraine itself, a stable peace can be achieved without war on its territory.
However, not long after the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations have just begun, the gunfire in Ukraine has not stopped, and the road to peace is still very long. (End)
Source: China News Network