On Monday, President Trump took time to celebrate after Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a ceasefire aimed at ending the violent conflict that flared up between them last week.
In a bid to quell the fighting, Trump brought the leaders of both nations together on Saturday and paused ongoing trade talks. The two countries have now decided to implement an “unconditional” ceasefire that will begin at midnight on Tuesday.
“We’re thrilled to announce that, thanks to President Donald J. Trump’s involvement, a ceasefire and peace have been achieved. Congratulations to all!” said Trump, 79, in a post on social media.
“By stopping this war, we’ve preserved countless lives. I’ve told the trade team to get back to negotiations. I’ve managed to end multiple conflicts in only six months. I take pride in being a president of peace!”
Before making the announcement, Trump communicated with Thai acting Prime Minister Humtam Wechayachi and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Mane over the phone.
This ceasefire agreement was initially made public by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who facilitated discussions between the two nations just hours before Trump’s announcement.
Since the conflict erupted on Thursday, at least 38 individuals have lost their lives, and numerous civilians have had to flee the danger zone.
According to Thailand, Cambodia had fired rockets into civilian areas, prompting the deployment of F-16 fighter jets.
Simultaneously, Cambodian soldiers assert that they were the initial aggressors during a confrontation at Prasat Ta Muen Thom, an ancient Hindu temple claimed by both countries.
The last significant clash occurred in 2011, though tensions have persisted since Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953.
“I leverage trade to foster peace,” Trump highlighted in an exclusive interview on Sunday.
“We were in negotiations. We were preparing to finalize things. But we made it clear that we wouldn’t proceed without a deal with our very good neighbor,” he noted, making reference to Cambodia. “They’ve interacted for ages, yet had some disputes.”
If no agreement is reached by August 1, most imports from both countries into the United States will face a 36% tariff.
