Skillful communication in the media can be used to effectively convey so-called ‘red lines’ to the negotiating partner. However, the negotiator must be certain that they can take action in conjunction with their partners should these ‘red lines’ be crossed. Otherwise, this will quickly be exposed as a bluff and lose its future impact.
During the 2026 WEF, US President Donald Trump was persuaded to back down from his threats to invade Greenland and agreed to secret negotiations.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb praised the American’s move towards de-escalation, but immediately went on to highlight Europe’s strengths: Europeans could very well escalate in order to de-escalate, using the following means:
Firstly, by selling US government bonds; secondly, by imposing painful tariffs on selected US products; and thirdly, by deploying the trade bazooka – the trade war. The message was clear.
