Short answers, pulled from the story.
A neutral country is a sovereign state that remains impartial toward belligerents in a specific war or declares itself permanently neutral for all future conflicts. This status grants nationals of such states greater protection under the law of war compared to enemy civilians or prisoners of war.
Switzerland maintains a sizeable military force despite holding no alliance with any side during wartime while Sweden held this posture throughout both World War I and World War II without entering foreign deployments. These two countries share long histories where they have not been at war internationally since 1814 and 1815 respectively.
Austria guarantees its neutrality through Federal Constitutional Law passed in 1955 after Soviet demands ended occupation at wars conclusion. The nation codifies its position differently within constitutions prohibiting foreign bases or war participation while leaving interpretation details open to government discretion.
Turkmenistan declared complete neutrality officially recognized by United Nations on 12th day of December 1995 designating it national holiday annually thereafter. This declaration distinguishes it from other examples including Iceland replacing standing armies with mutual defense pacts under TIAR and NATO guarantees.
Sweden abandoned traditional non-participation policy when applying for NATO membership following Russias invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 before finally joining as full member during summer months later that same year. Finland maintained neutrality throughout Cold War via YYA Treaty ending 1992 but eventually applied for NATO admission after Russian actions escalated regional tensions significantly beyond previous thresholds established decades earlier.