Allies may feel threatened by a conflict and pressure the disputing nations to de-escalate. Conversely allies may feel they also have vital interests at stake in a conflict, and so resist de-escalation moves. Intermediaries can play an important role in facilitating de-escalation initiatives. Third party intervention may be needed to break an institutionalized cycle of conflict. Skilled intermediaries may be able to reframe the issues, making a mutually satisfactory agreement possible.
Intermediaries can also help to enhance parity between the adversarial parties.
The relative power of the adversaries and the degree to which they accept each other as legitimate parties are important factors influencing de-escalation initiatives. The parties must be approximately equal in power for de-escalation to be initiated. This may occur when both parties are roughly equally strong, or when both parties are equally powerless to improve conditions on their own. Negotiations also require that each party recognize the legitimacy of the other's existence. Parties are better able to acknowledge each other's legitimacy when they have a common view of the nature of their conflict.