🔗 Share this article Trump Pressures the Thai government to Reaffirm Commitment to Cambodia Ceasefire with Trade Penalties The United States has applied pressure on the Thai administration to reaffirm its dedication to a truce deal with the Cambodian side, stating that trade talks could be halted as efforts are made to stop a Trump-mediated peace agreement from collapsing. Rising Border Hostilities Earlier this week, Thai officials announced it was suspending the truce agreement, alleging Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the shared border, among them an incident that reportedly wounded a Thai soldier on duty, who lost a foot in the blast. Since then, one person has been killed and several others wounded by gunfire along the border between the two nations, raising concerns of a new round of retaliatory clashes. US Trade Pressure On Saturday, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson told journalists that a letter from the Office of the US Trade Representative declaring the pause in trade negotiations was received on the previous evening. He quoted the document as stating that discussions on trade – which are addressing a 19 percent American duty – could restart once Thailand renewed its pledge to implementing the joint ceasefire declaration. “Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” said a different official representative. Trump’s Tariff Threat Speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on Friday, Trump suggested that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in discussions with the ASEAN nation heads. The US president said, “Today, I prevented a conflict using tariffs, the menace of duties,” adding, “they’re doing great. I think they’re gonna be fine.” Ceasefire Agreement Background Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, conducted in Malaysian territory this last autumn, and has touted it as one of multiple agreements around the globe he says should win him the prestigious peace award. The worst fighting in a ten years between Thai and Cambodian troops broke out in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee. Longstanding Border Dispute The two neighboring countries have a historic territorial disagreement that originates from conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period drawn up by the French. Historic shrines along the frontier are disputed by each nation. Reuters provided input for this coverage.