🔗 Share this article Trump Compels Thailand to Recommit to Cambodian Ceasefire with ‘Threat of Tariffs’ The United States has applied pressure on the Thai administration to recommit to a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia, indicating that trade talks 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 declared it was putting on hold the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of planting new explosives along the mutual frontier, including one that reportedly wounded a Thai soldier on duty, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast. Since then, one person has been killed and multiple individuals injured by gunfire along the Thai-Cambodia frontier, sparking fears of a new round of retaliatory clashes. American Economic Leverage Over the weekend, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson informed reporters that a official communication from the U.S. trade office announcing the pause in trade negotiations was obtained on Friday night. The spokesperson referenced the document as saying that trade negotiations – which are addressing a 19 percent American duty – could restart once Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out the mutual truce agreement. “Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” said another government spokesperson. President’s Economic Warning Speaking to the press on Air Force One as he traveled to the Sunshine State on the end of the week, the US leader suggested that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in calls 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.” Truce Deal Origins Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has promoted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he says should win him the prestigious peace award. The most severe clashes in a decade between Thai and Cambodian troops broke out in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks leaving dozens of people killed and 300,000 displaced. Historic Frontier Conflict The two neighboring countries have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the frontier are claimed by both sides. International news agency contributed to this report.