🔗 Share this article Trump Compels Thailand to Recommit to Cambodia Ceasefire with Trade Penalties The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to recommit to a ceasefire agreement with Cambodia, indicating that trade negotiations could be paused as attempts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered peace agreement from falling apart. Rising Border Hostilities Earlier this week, Thai officials declared it was suspending the ceasefire deal, accusing Cambodian forces of laying fresh landmines along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that allegedly wounded a Thai military personnel on patrol, who suffered a foot amputation in the blast. Following this, one person has been killed and multiple individuals injured by exchanges of fire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a fresh wave of tit-for-tat fighting. US Trade Pressure Over the weekend, a representative from Thailand's foreign office informed reporters that a letter from the U.S. trade office announcing the suspension of trade deal talks was obtained on the previous evening. He quoted the letter as stating that trade negotiations – which are addressing a US tariff of 19% – could resume once the Thai government reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the mutual truce agreement. “Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” stated another government spokesperson. President’s Economic Warning Addressing reporters aboard the presidential plane as he flew to Florida on the end of the week, Trump implied that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads. The US president said, “Today, I prevented a conflict using tariffs, the menace of duties,” adding, “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 October, 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 military forces of both nations erupted in July, 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 conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the frontier are disputed by each nation. International news agency provided input for this coverage.