Any conflict can be considered narrow or broad depending on what angle we look at it. For example, the Central European conflict could be regarded as one between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, or between socialism and imperialism. In order to de-escalate a conflict, the number of parties might be increased to include those who want to reach an agreement, or decreased to exclude those who are not willing to moderate their positions. The situation changed when bilateral negotiations between the Soviet Union and the U.S. were conducted. Basic transformation is a long-term process, since it necessitates altering the public opinion of large populations toward accommodation.
Intermediaries play a significant role in transforming conflict toward becoming tractable.
The Israeli-Egyptian negotiations are an example. According to Kriesberg, the inducements should create a situation where the status quo becomes attractive to the parties. The sequence of inducements is very important. In the early stage, coercion can play an important role, but it has to be combined with trust-building inducements. For example, the USSR gained considerable military strength in the 1960s, which produced a status quo in Eastern and Central Europe.