As tariffs return and great-power rivalry intensifies, can small states still stay afloat? This video looks at Switzerland’s strategic playbook from Marignano (1515) to Vienna (1815) and today’s “cooperative neutrality” to explain how a neutral country adapts in a multipolar, more transactional world. We unpack the politics behind sanctions on Russia, the debate over “neutrality carved in stone,” and Switzerland’s growing role in European security through PESCO, the European Sky Shield Initiative, PfP with NATO, and the upcoming OSCE Chairmanship in 2026.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Changing World Order

01:05 Historical Context: Switzerland's Neutrality

02:44 Modern Neutrality: Post-Cold War to Present

06:11 Switzerland's Response to the Ukraine Conflict

07:52 Debates and Future of Swiss Neutrality

10:12 Switzerland's Role in European Security

14:12 Conclusion: The Future of Neutrality

Tell me in the comments: Should Switzerland keep its neutrality as a foreign policy instrument?