The Cold War examples of Austria and Finland showed two things
That didn't age well.
Might as well add Sweden into the mix.
Two famously neutral countries who - suddenly - decided to join NATO after Putin's Russia broke the post-WWII peace order.
(Austria is safely ensconced, geographically, within NATO, and thus enjoys all the safety and protection of a full member.)
Regards,
I’m talking about the COLD WAR. During that time, we knew our limits and the Soviets responded in kind. It would have been VERY EASY to do the kind of crap we are doing in Ukraine, but we DID NOT.
Now all bets are off, and if we’re lucky, very lucky, only Ukraine will be destroyed by the IDIOTS running the West.