How to refuse the demand?

[Solovey]

This.
Some nation demand a territory I own. I refuse that, what brings a risk of war as well as it modify our war support. They don't declare a war, but next turn they demand the same territory again. And again. It happens in multiple games with multiple rivals. Does it make any sense?

 

[Atlas627]

Depends on what allows them to make such a demand. If it is because you settled next to them, once you refuse it they lose it. But if it is because of their religious or cultural influence, then they get that same demand back every turn. Don't refuse those, as it will increase war score more quickly. Either start preparing for war or find something you can demand of them, so that their war score doesn't rise.

 

[Saxo Grammaticus]

The worst for me is the demand to adopt their state religion. The specter of recurring demands pretty much discourages global trade for the bulk of the mid-game. I hope it gets a nice polish along with the rest of diplomacy, but I have to admit it does make a certain degree of sense.

Many powers over history right up through the present have maintained territorial demands despite rejection, international condemnation, and the unlikeliness of their fulfillment. Still, in East Asia, for example, this tends not to stop countries from building factories across the border.