Breakfast Session under the Chatham House Rule

From Agora to AI Slop: Balancing Public Narratives and Private Negotiations

May 17, 08:30-09:45

Room: Copenhagen

Public messaging can shape expectations, influence domestic audiences, and strengthen deterrence, but it may also constrain room for compromise or create pressure. How have diplomatic tools and goals evolved in the modern era, where visibility often competes with confidentiality? Is there still space for quiet diplomacy, backchannel talks, and incremental trust-building? Under what conditions does public communication advance negotiations, and when does it risk turning policy into political theatre? How should diplomats balance signalling resolve publicly with preserving flexibility privately? When and how—if at all—should we engage with adversaries?