Trump Urges Thailand to Recommit to Cambodian Ceasefire with Tariff Warnings
Washington has exerted influence on the Thai administration to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal with Cambodia, stating that trade talks could be halted as efforts are made to stop a Trump-mediated ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.
Rising Border Hostilities
In recent days, Thai officials announced it was putting on hold the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, among them an incident that allegedly wounded a Thai military personnel on duty, who lost a foot in the explosion.
Following this, a fatality occurred and several others wounded by exchanges of fire along the border between the two nations, raising concerns of a new round of tit-for-tat fighting.
US Trade Pressure
On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told journalists that a letter from the U.S. trade office announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was obtained on Friday night.
He quoted the letter as stating that trade negotiations – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could resume once Thailand renewed its pledge to implementing the mutual truce agreement.
“Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” stated a different official representative.
Trump’s Tariff Threat
Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he flew to Florida on Friday, Trump suggested that he had employed tariff warnings in discussions with the south-east Asian leaders.
The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” adding, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.”
Ceasefire Agreement Background
The President witnessed the finalization of a ceasefire agreement, held in Malaysia this October, and has promoted it as one of several deals around the globe he says should win him the Nobel Peace prize.
The most severe clashes in a decade between Thai and Cambodian troops erupted in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks leaving dozens of people killed and 300,000 displaced.
Historic Frontier Conflict
Thailand and Cambodia have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Historic shrines along the border are disputed by each nation.
International news agency provided input for this coverage.