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The United States has applied pressure on Thailand to reaffirm its dedication to a ceasefire agreement with the Cambodian side, stating that trade talks could be paused as efforts are made to prevent a Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire arrangement from collapsing.

Border Tensions Escalate

In recent days, Thai officials announced it was putting on hold the truce agreement, accusing Cambodia of planting new explosives along the mutual frontier, among them an incident that reportedly wounded a Thai military personnel on patrol, who lost a foot in the explosion.

Since then, a fatality occurred and multiple individuals injured by gunfire along the border between the two nations, sparking fears of a fresh wave of tit-for-tat fighting.

American Economic Leverage

On Saturday, a representative from Thailand's foreign office told journalists that a official communication from the Office of the US Trade Representative announcing the pause in trade negotiations was received on Friday night.

The spokesperson referenced the document as stating that trade negotiations – which are addressing a 19 percent American duty – could resume once the Thai government reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out the mutual truce agreement.

“Trade talks are ongoing and distinct from frontier matters,” stated a different official representative.

Trump’s Tariff Threat

Speaking to the press aboard the presidential plane as he traveled to the Sunshine State on the end of the week, Trump implied that he had used the “threat of tariffs” in calls with the ASEAN nation heads.

The US president said, “I stopped a war just today through the use of tariffs, the threat of tariffs,” continuing, “they’re doing great. I think they’re gonna be fine.”

Truce Deal Origins

Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement, conducted in Malaysian territory this October, and has touted it as one of multiple agreements around the world he says should win him the Nobel Peace prize.

The worst fighting in a ten years between Thai and Cambodian troops erupted in mid-summer, with exchanges of fire, shelling and aerial attacks leaving dozens of people killed and 300,000 displaced.

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 claimed by both sides.

International news agency provided input for this coverage.