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The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a ceasefire agreement with the Cambodian side, warning that trade negotiations could be paused as efforts are made to prevent a Trump-mediated ceasefire arrangement from falling apart.

Border Tensions Escalate

In recent days, Thai officials declared it was suspending the ceasefire deal, alleging Cambodia of laying fresh landmines along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that allegedly injured 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 gunfire along the border between the two nations, raising concerns of a new round of retaliatory clashes.

US Trade Pressure

Over the weekend, a Thai foreign ministry spokesperson informed reporters that a letter from the U.S. trade office declaring the suspension of trade deal talks was received on the previous evening.

The spokesperson referenced the letter as saying that trade negotiations – which are addressing a 19 percent American duty – could restart once Thailand renewed its pledge to carrying out the joint ceasefire declaration.

“Tariff negotiations will continue and remain separate from border issues,” stated a different official representative.

President’s Economic Warning

Addressing reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Florida on Friday, the US leader implied that he had employed tariff warnings in calls with the ASEAN nation heads.

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.”

Truce Deal Origins

Trump oversaw the signing of a peace deal, held in Malaysia this October, and has touted it as one of several deals around the globe he claims should win him the Nobel Peace prize.

The most severe clashes in a decade between military forces of both nations erupted in July, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks causing numerous fatalities and hundreds of thousands forced to flee.

Longstanding Border Dispute

Thailand and Cambodia have a longstanding border dispute that dates back to conflicts regarding maps from the colonial period created by French cartographers. Ancient temples along the border are claimed by both sides.

Reuters provided input for this coverage.