I am Pascal Lottaz, Associate Professor of Neutrality Studies at Kyoto University. Although I cannot be with you in person today, I would like to share a few thoughts on the historical transformation we are witnessing. Despite the NATO summit recently held in Ankara, what we are actually witnessing is the end of the age of alliances. The era of rigid alliances, which spanned centuries in European history, has reached its limit.

NATO lost its defensive character no later than 1999 during the bombing of Serbia and the breakup of Yugoslavia, violating its own foundational charter. Subsequently, NATO expanded its scope into out-of-area operations in Afghanistan, maritime missions beyond the Atlantic, and talking about opening up to the Pacific. Its relentless expansion toward Russia led directly to the proxy war in Ukraine. If the Ukrainian front fails, the prospect of the entire alliance directly confronting Russia represents a terrifying moment. Contrary to Western narratives, there is no formal military alliance between Russia and China; NATO remains the last dinosaur of an old paradigm that is fracturing.

With the end of the alliance era, the 21st century will be defined by neutrality and flexible strategic cooperations. We are moving toward an international framework reminiscent of the 19th century, where states flexibly determine when to cooperate, when to stay neutral, and which conflicts to avoid—this time with the Global South as an indispensable player. Unlike the Western pattern of escalating hatred and war rhetoric, the Global South and East Asia maintain a generally peaceful track record of managing conflicts diplomatically.

The way forward requires creating spaces for dialogue through multilateral platforms such as the UN, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the African Union. Western methods have consistently relied on warfare, destruction, and deception—whether regarding Iran, Ukraine, human rights, or domestic democracy. Our shared responsibility is to pierce this veil of deception and dedicate our efforts to peace, diplomacy, and genuine neutrality rather than joining military blocs seeking global hegemony.