that them to morrow and it's unclear of the moments whether she is going to make that one prince charles is going to be representing her at the service at saint paul's cathedral. and there are many other politicians and key figures in british public life attending there as well. but the main one, the queen is not around obviously, for the 96 year old woman. she's by a very frightened date. what are we to make of all this, all this british relationship with, with what for many countries, many democracy, that lease is an anachronism that most don't have monarchies anymore. is it, a blights isn't a national assets. i mean, that's too much to go into there for me in this particular situation, but it's obvious that the british absolutely love a royal party. and i think this country is going to be telling republican anytime, saying, ah,

hello again. the headlines on al jazeera, a 100 days and the invasion of ukraine president lansky estimates. russia occupies 20 percent of the country, the battle rages in the east, 2 years fighting and see of europe done yet. while the us has announced the new round of sanctions against russian oligarchy and leave us president joe biden has delivered an impassioned as rest through the nation on gun control. after a series of mass shootings, he's called on congress to restore limits on the sale of his full style weapons and raised a minimum age to buy guns. opposition groups in the democratic republic of congo are calling for the government to cut diplomatic ties with rwanda. their protesting were one, does a legit support for the armed rebel group? am $23.00, which they denied one does denied supporting the fruit that's fighting congress forces in the east of the country. those are the

latest headlines on al jazeera at this time up next. it's inside story, more news at the top of the hour. thanks for watching. bye bye. for now. the what was going on in the future. i don't need to be active in the mac and i'm just going to put them to me. i just need to make sure you open the home and ya today, and we're going to be what we said as well. they didn't put me in. i'm a lot of fun at the focus when i know, i mean,

i mean me shooting off the edge of the ah, staying neutral in the face of conflict. many countries decided against taking sides in the russia ukraine war. but what does neutrality mean? and can a nation truly avoid siding with either? this is inside story. ah

hello and welcome to the program i mammograms room. many countries have decided to avoid taking sides and rushes invasion of ukraine. 35 nations abstained from voting on a un resolution condemning the conflict and russia's president demanded ukraine be declared neutral as a condition to ending the war. but the concept of neutrality is under question. the invasion led to finland and sweden that had long been militarily neutral, applying to join the nato alliance. india is officially not aligned with either russia ukraine, but it has faced criticism for doubling its imports of russian oil. even switzerland, known worldwide for neutrality, is debating its meaning. media report say the government, veto german and danish requests to supply swiss made armored vehicles to ukraine as that would violate switzerland's neutrality. but the country followed much of the

west by imposing sanctions and freezing russian assets. in february, the swiss president said neutrality doesn't mean being indifferent to aggression. room hub and view saw in sheet. why did we take this decision, lucas, he and other democracies must be able to rely on switzerland, states that stand for international law. you must be able to rely on switzerland and states had uphold human rights, must be able to rely on switzerland, stockton. the federal council examined the question of neutrality under the slight playing into the hands of an aggressor is not neutral. it was not. all right, let's take a look at what neutrality means. it broadly means not taking sides an armed conflict between war in countries and abstaining from providing military assistance . countries interpret neutrality differently. for example, finland and sweden are more relaxed about their status and describe themselves as non aligned. whereas neutral countries in europe are bound by the policies of the

european union. most countries declare their neutrality, while some are permanently neutral by either constitutional decree or as part of a previous treaty. during hostilities, a neutral state may repeal change or modify its position. ah, all right, let's bring in our guess. joining us on the line from new delhi, happy mon jacob, associate professor of diplomacy, a joy harlow narrow university and founder of the council for strategic and defense research in zurich, mark for author and adjunct professor of sociology at the university of zurich. and in oslo. glen decent professor of international relations at the university of se, norway, a warm welcome to you all, and thanks so much for joining us on the program today. mark, let me start with you today. um, there seems to be some confusion out there when it comes to the concept of neutrality. so i want to take a step back for a moment and ask you about the difference between the law of neutrality versus the

politics of neutrality. how those 2 things differ. as a tough one. well, i can speak my switch perspective because switzerland is obviously known as maybe the 1st or know the only statement in the world that hasn't tried and tried and it's very constitution. and that goes back actually a long time there was a battle in 1516, but in yano, where the switches were trying to over extend themselves and warriors still had a vatican guard today, member mercenaries. and after that kind of bitter defeat that they had there, they came to the conclusion that that neutrality would be a better option. this is only enshrined really after the counsellor vienna 815, counseled paris. and then later, as you probably know, the convention den haag 97 and so on. but it is something that comes naturally to switzerland because it's a country kind of approached here in middle of europe, between testing hours,

you know, taking sides of the costly affair that i'm the wrong horse. or if you're caught in that sort of cross hairs of these contending powers, and that's also why it's with them became of course, the center in the world for diplomacy and neutrality. then it's into really linked to the piece that we've had. it's woodson, prosperity and other countries then look to switzerland as a paradigm. but today with this new conflict of course is all and danger and question. but the legacy of it is basically to keep out of these conflicts, to preserve once on stability and to act as a platform for the congress. seeing people come from glen was the concept of neutrality interpreted differently in the past, say, during the cold war era or during world war 2 was it interpreted differently in the past than it is today. well,

my colleague suggest it is interpreted in different ways. i guess during the cold war it was mostly it was very much defined as being part of the blogs in order to reduce the attention of this politics. and that's why we saw in europe during the cold war. we have come neutral, states inland, sweden, austria, switzerland, which kind of creates a buffer zone and making germany only from plan. so i think it, we will link the more to membership in military lines. as of course, neutrality also comes us not taking sides in any conflicts, such as providing weapons to one side during the war. and, but i think if some of the ideas about charlotteville ra, obscured after the cold war, it's common to, to argue now that the child is only on the past 3 months been begun to come up,

but it began to collapse as soon they're out there after the cold war because well, there was an absence on the security architecture. so we saw that and nathan began to take on the role of representing europe. so nato expansion is attention when it came to main force for what they referred to as european integration. so neutrality, effectively, the men to be marginalized from only security architecture, there was on the continent. so the whole idea of neutrality has changed a lot during the cold war era. and which is why we also see that this can collapsing over the past 30 years. mark, i saw you nodding along to some of what glen was saying there, and it looked like you might have wanted to jump in. so go ahead. well, just footnote over, i think we all agree, but it is the debate in switzerland right now because definitionally no trial, the many non military intervention and other with sanctions is, is that

a military intervention or not? or does that violate the law and trinity, which is trying to, this was constitution. this was constitute not explicit on this military intervention is, is the red line definitely. and so, delivery weapons to a conflict zone has traditionally been seen as, as something prohibited bytes was, was, was well marked. let me follow up with you on that point because, you know, as you mentioned, i mean this, which will and essentially is having its neutrality tested somewhat publicly right now, you know, there is this debate over with neutrality. it's been intensifying due to the war in ukraine. the fact that swiss government signed up to the sanctions on russia, you know, as you mentioned, some viewed that as a sign that switzerland is abandoned, its neutrality is this debate is which then going to grow? are we going to see more lawmakers bringing it up a talking about it? is it how, how much is the public involved in this debate right now? while that's a very good point, because all these decisions were made down with our recourse in the public and which was the only direct democracy in the world 70 constitution,

the people are the sovereign. so at the end, if there's a referendum they can overturn any decision made by the federal council. but the federal cow, unilaterally decided to its essence violate towards one, you know, trial of switzerland. i would just add a footnote to, to the cold war. it's not true that was entirely neutral, even before the, during the call. it always was deciding, you know, with, with the u. s. incense, and also you remember, 991 when participated in the sanctions against iraq. so people forget that maybe a little bit. so there is a precedent there that has been, has been said by my colleague, certainly after the cold war. certainly a soft thing of this whole thing. and switzerland has a partnership with peace, with nato. so even though it's not a member of nato defacto kind of is, so you know, all the use. another example, switzerland decided that people decided to vote against membership and you but the federal. busy council opened all kinds of doors to the you that defacto,

what's became a member of the and the same now the sanctions here. now the quote, you're right there is probably this continues. if the federal council say, or tomorrow decides to deliver, you know, munitions, to germany and then to the crane the mark, then i think there will be a national referendum or initiative. now how that will turn out is another question or some people that are or against, but i think it will come to that eventually because my child is something sacred to a lot of was not all, maybe not even to majority, but a lot. this was one of the happy mom. let me ask you, india is not officially aligned with either russia or ukraine. i want to look for a moment if the difference between neutrality and non alignment, how is one different from the other? thank you. moment for asking that chris, and i think this is all fun, be sent by a lot of people, bill billy as to what is in the stands when it comes to some of these issues. as

you know, he started to be able to get defensive. i did 47, it has claimed to be known online, follow internationally as not aligned with either soviet. busy or the us get into for what except when of course, it was the credit that i q, the sense of security. so what example doing the $971.00 wall between india and pockets on this at that point of time and signed a piece of friendship friendship with the united us this up. but for was part of the house name that it is that don't align, come to now you ask me the difference between no, no, by the way be, see in india you try to mean that you don't take a position on any extended warranties issue. you know that you've got stuff, i think you can do stuff. i think you have no opinion on that. you don't take

a decision on that. you don't to act on act on a donor line, but it will be that even gender, you are not aligned. countries not aligned to either of the 2 blogs. but if you will continue to have an opinion on what is happening, it will continue to take. ready position or taking action, but it's on national inputs. we can, if you will have known the country off it's obedient. what do you have done basic, be stuck in gender, be another line to any, to or any of the 2 quotes or any of the, any of the folks out there. but we will take a decision on a particular issue based of the bait it off the circumstances thought that it was, i think that is a very significant sticks to do understand because it is not a you can follow it. be out, you know, during job you know, to pick it up there are a lot know who radiate. otherwise, i think would be active on the global scene. talking about, for example, the colonizer said no update, or the, or the, or the effects of the cold war ex,

if i speak to them active power, at the same time, it wasn't none of my. and so it was not a huge quality, always article opinion. it put forward the solution, be the at that in the korea and what is the korean water for example? so he doesn't have to follow, not neutral, not aligned to actually order new, neutral, happy ones. let me also ask you, i mean india has come under a lot of pressure by countries like the u. s. and other western countries to try to change its stance when it comes to russia and ukraine. do you think that there's any scenario by which india would actually take a stance against russian invasion of ukraine? i can be the pin again. bailey, was that when the water begun by the russians and we imagined that this was going to be quick while i think much of the project. and i could believe that to be the case. like for example, be like i could happen in 2040 so that the assumption that have

to be completely erroneous. so if this was this for a very long time, if this is going to lead to your monetary and tragedy in your grade, i believe you're probably going to look at a lot more pressure on it internally and externally to change its opinion on what's going on let me, let me also sort of caviar my argument by saying that there has not really support of that. actually it was for example, 2014 that that site has made interest media has not made that made that argument in 22 and 22. if you look at the explanations of what i'd be another because of the and the about the general assembly in there has made the argument that it is important to warner. masha also want to be safe guarding. so it is important that extra i guess is not a good idea. yes. made all correct argument vision in its explanation and he had

refused to let's say it was against your condom press. yes. so it's so by not confirming that one would make the argument, that would be a start to be for us. yeah. right now it is suddenly brought, i should not because it likes what he's doing. but because of the do you want to take a look at it? you know, you're looking at it really difficult for me. why my eyes actually you know, putting pressure on india. so i think to answer your question, but i think if this was what becomes about yet, there would be a lot more pressure on in, in generally, i think there was glen going forward. will the countries that maintain their neutrality still play an important diplomatic role in finding political solutions to conflict? or do you think that their influence will win? well, i think their influence will dig into decline because there's hardly any more neutral

countries left in europe. i think and with it's now the sweet man, the finland, especially house, argued that they will join nato or i think you will see less and less of this. and there will be seem to be participants of the conflict. and by taking sides, there's also less of a diplomatic role they can have, which is mind with the more of the diplomatic role as having been shifted towards turkey. now, turkey offices and natal member. but still you see them to having more of an independent foreign policy, an open list, a thing, for example, we're not going to join in on the all of the sanctions. so i think that the decline of the child will definitely have an impact on, on the, on, on, on the diplomacy and the ability to promote peace knows have to be said that i think i think that the client and the child is also not just promot preventing diplomacy, but it's also provoking on conflicts and war and,

and i think a single and my might regret this disposition because keep in mind what, what's happened to you and i think it's often a common narrative, not that you could if you could have been and nato, then there wouldn't have been more, but i think in reality it was the u. s. and natal efforts to and, and ukrainian neutrality eventually pro russia because we see what the ukranian experience was from its independence on the present push months. the whole idea was that they should never join nato with alec project and joined with russia. then it would be fine, but without russia frontline against russia, that was undermining the charlotte. these are the tried to be neutral until the color revolution in 2004, when it's also the western back commercial link to nato expansion. and then relations to then get the period until 2010, when the ukraine again pushed the idea that it was a neutral state dot com again. and then we saw the toppling coal,

which in 2014 with western support. and this is what then again, unraveled the conflict us. this will seem to be another effort by made, wanted to rob the ukraine of its neutrality. and even in 2015, the agreement that was seen by russia to a large extent cementing ukraine's neutrality about and unfortunately it never went anywhere. and so i think that's definitely the decline on the child you're collapse from the child's in your role. continue to make diplomacy more and more difficult and create more areas of conflicts, mark, you know, following up on, on what glen was saying there. let me ask you about perceptions of neutrality around the world right now at a moment like this. does it seem to you that more people are viewing the concept of neutrality negatively? well, yes, i mean, i think there was in different cases now and this ukraine war,

russia war, which is some way, a sibling war, right? if you think about it, between brothers and the media has of course, stoke the, this paper, the russia for you everywhere. tennis fair as being bad. what have you, which is a very uncanny and regrettable reach. i do think neutrality has gotten how to vote right. which is very unfortunate, especially for country switzerland. and that's why it's especially calling to see switzerland, you know, jump into this so, so, so, so precipitously. and i would say there's a broader crisis here, frankly speaking, you don't, the trial is not something that you can point to united states. think about the founding fathers. they were saying we don't want to go abroad for to search for motus, to destroy. and then over time, america got involved and boiled more and more wars recently we know as well. and it became defacto an empire and speak someone like, you know, john merced time or chemistry on this war. and again, it's that is a really saying we shouldn't go broad become an empire,

and we have united states as well. and switzerland now is unfortunately also jumping on the bandwagon to a degree. but i would say both cases in the united states and it's not the case, the decisions were made. i repeat talk down, it wasn't really a democratic process. there never was really vote on whether we should go into iraq, going to live in the countries now ukraine and then dropped a lot of these decisions. we're taking a top down, especially in switzerland, and i think there will be a popular sort of resentment at some point because there's a huge economic price going. we should maybe talk about that too, because all these countries are going to probably suffer more from the sanction than russia. and that's a very important point to i think that breaking this neutrality is yes, it's endangering global piece because diplomacy is no longer on the able country like so. it's kind of difficult to act as diplomat, but also economically, i think the consequences are very severe and not necessarily positive for anyone ukrainian or russian european american civilians. so i think that's important.

happy one at a time when dialogue and diplomacy oftentimes aren't achieving their aims. when it comes to trying to find political solutions to conflicts, different parts of the world are institutions like the u. in, in decline. i think that is absolutely no doubt about the fact that the united nation is on a minute decline. we hardly hear of the united nations of being able to do anything around the world that if you didn't get to the, the one organization that is supposed to save, got the security system, which is not the mr. to give to call and sort of has become so d funds, in any case i just want to find, but yet you don't because you want to give the counselor. so i think this argument, that's a lot of us who have been making from the global putting india that the global

war, national organizations need fund them at least start getting today's message to council all global videos. other quality institutions do not represent the realities, all the kind of bring them up. i'd be at the, at the end of the 2nd world war to be there is the, i'm there to the whole. absolutely. no. why do you see that we don't have any systems of practice in place in order to mediate, during crisis, ought to bring about that with the so i think, you know what, normally what happens the end of the walk in ukraine or in fact yeah, there is serious, anything that is required by the community on what kind like this of this of the required or focusing fees are going for i think there's something that has been

demanded by the by the power, the global glenn. there are many countries in europe that may be rethinking their neutrality right now because of the war in ukraine. but what about other countries around the world are, are a lot of other countries around the world struggling with this as well right now? well, from my perspective, at least the way i see it, i think it's mainly problems because we spoke about india again it's, it's in there, they're trying to adopt a new reality. again, when you have congress, i get to see the rise of china. there might be concern and therefore seeking closer partnerships with united states, japan and other countries in the region. on the other hand, you also see the number line kind of like in there, a brand seen about nothing seemed to join an lines the targets china therefore see a very cautious language. that is that they want to be in these formations to be probation. pie chinese for example, so effectively not going against the chinese so. so for this reason,

i don't think that charles in asia, for example, is falling apart in the form of development of a nation, nato. so i think again, a lot of this goes back to the whole the whole, what's very unique about europe, which is that after the cold war, we had this move 1st that we were going to have a security architecture which wasn't linked to the competing cold, more secure than military boxed and again, i think people, people, other was appreciate what exactly happened because it was in 1909 at the the meeting now the was supposed been like an inclusive security institutions which, which would reduce the role of the military lives as we saw that the russians, they committed themselves, example to withdrawing their 50 percent over and ga. however, when they saw that the you would not be inclusive impartial. security

lines because of nato expansion isn't there. so natal replacing members and it came to a conclusion. they couldn't go out because either they have their troops there, or they will join nato. so having troops in this countries became a tool for imposing the child on them. and this is, this has been kind of experienced over the years since in europe. all right, well we are out of time, so we're going to have to leave the discussion there. thanks so much to all of our guests, mark for ha, happy mon jacob and glen decent. and thank you for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website, algebra dot com. and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter. our handle is at e. j inside stored for me. mm hm. mm hm. jerome the whole team here, bye for now. ah

ah, how do you states control information the china local go? if you tried to search the war tenement, we find it is trying to make the whole country forget how did the narrative improve public opinion. they had live died and that allowed the children to continue to die to how is this is in journalism, we framing the story. i am here to duck you man, the war crimes committed by what did and his resume, the listening post dissects the media on al jazeera, the heart wrenching goodbyes, loved ones, not knowing when they will unite again. women and children heading west to relative

safety, often leaving men behind among them. foreigners also trying to give out train rise of a free, but it's on a 1st come, 1st serve basis here at the bus station that only a few rides available. and that's only to the surrounding villages. so people like for me in rose, now need to find another way to get out of the city. but for now they like many others would have to reach and hope hoping tomorrow is a better day. ah . general barrison window on the top stories on al jazeera, a 100 days into the invasion of ukraine. president zalinski estimates. russia occupies 20.