🔗 Share this article Trump Compels Thailand to Recommit to Cambodia Truce with ‘Threat of Tariffs’ The United States has applied pressure on the Thai administration to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal with the Cambodian side, indicating that trade negotiations could be halted as efforts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from falling apart. Rising Border Hostilities In recent days, Thailand announced it was suspending the truce agreement, alleging Cambodia of planting new explosives along the shared border, among them an incident that reportedly wounded a Thai military personnel on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the explosion. Since then, one person has been killed and multiple individuals injured by exchanges of fire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, raising concerns of a fresh wave 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 U.S. trade office announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was received on the previous evening. The spokesperson referenced the document as saying that discussions on trade – which are addressing a 19 percent American duty – could resume once Thailand renewed its pledge to implementing the mutual truce agreement. “Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” said another government spokesperson. President’s Economic Warning Addressing reporters aboard the presidential plane as he flew to Florida on Friday, Trump implied that he had employed tariff warnings in discussions with the south-east Asian leaders. He stated, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” continuing, “they are performing well. I believe they will be okay.” Ceasefire Agreement Background The President witnessed the finalization of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has touted it as one of multiple agreements around the world he claims should win him the prestigious peace award. The most severe clashes in a ten years between military forces of both nations broke out in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks leaving dozens of people killed and 300,000 displaced. Longstanding Border Dispute The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that originates from disagreements over maps from the colonial period drawn up by the French. Ancient temples along the border are claimed by both sides. Reuters provided input for this coverage.