The US President Urges Thailand to Recommit to Cambodian Truce with ‘Threat of Tariffs’

The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to recommit to a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia, stating that trade talks could be suspended as attempts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered peace agreement from falling apart.

Border Tensions Escalate

In recent days, Thai officials declared it was putting on hold the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodia of planting new explosives along the shared border, including one that reportedly injured a Thai soldier on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast.

Since then, one person has been killed and several others wounded by exchanges of fire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, sparking fears of a new round of tit-for-tat fighting.

American Economic Leverage

Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office told journalists that a official communication from the Office of the US Trade Representative declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was received on the previous evening.

The spokesperson referenced the letter as stating that discussions on trade – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could restart once Thailand renewed its pledge to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.

“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” said another government spokesperson.

Trump’s Tariff Threat

Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he traveled to the Sunshine State on the end of the week, Trump implied that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in discussions with the ASEAN nation heads.

He stated, “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 peace deal, held in Malaysia this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of several deals around the world he claims should earn him the Nobel Peace prize.

The most severe clashes in a decade between Thai and Cambodian troops broke out in mid-summer, with gunfire, artillery and airstrikes causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.

Longstanding Border Dispute

The two neighboring countries have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to disagreements over maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Historic shrines along the border are disputed by each nation.

Reuters contributed to this report.