Trump Says He Will Call Thailand and Cambodia to Help End Border Fighting
US President pledges to make direct calls to both governments as clashes between the two countries intensify
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered a third consecutive day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced he planned to make phone calls to the leaders of both countries in an effort to halt the renewed border conflict.
The clashes erupted after Thailand suspended a truce that had been brokered in July.
The earlier July ceasefire had ended a five-day war that resulted in at least forty-eight deaths and displaced some 300,000 people.
Under the renewed unrest, Cambodia reports that nine civilians have died and twenty were wounded, while Thailand has reported four soldiers killed and sixty-eight wounded.
Vast numbers of civilians have fled border areas in both countries.
The flare-up was triggered after a Thai soldier was severely injured by a landmine that Bangkok alleges was newly laid by Cambodian forces — an accusation Cambodia rejects.
Thai authorities subsequently suspended the de-escalation measures agreed upon in an October summit attended by Trump and pledged to respond firmly.
In contrast, senior advisers to Cambodia’s leadership have signaled Phnom Penh’s willingness to resume bilateral talks at any time — but stressed that any dialogue must be based on mutual goodwill.
At his rally in Pennsylvania, Trump reiterated his record as a peace broker in global conflict zones, noting that he had helped end wars such as those between Pakistan and India.
He said he would intervene again and make a direct phone call to address the Cambodia–Thailand conflict.
However, officials in Bangkok have voiced scepticism about third-party mediation.
Thailand’s foreign minister has indicated that the current circumstances are not conducive to external intervention, while Cambodia has insisted it remains open to talks — provided Thailand is willing.
The renewed fighting has involved artillery exchanges along large stretches of the disputed 817-kilometre border, with both sides accusing the other of targeting civilian areas or military infrastructure.
The scale of evacuations and displacement continues to grow as the conflict intensifies.
The coming hours may reveal whether Trump’s diplomatic outreach can persuade Bangkok and Phnom Penh to pause fighting and return to negotiations — or whether the skirmish will spiral into a deeper confrontation with broader regional consequences.
The clashes erupted after Thailand suspended a truce that had been brokered in July.
The earlier July ceasefire had ended a five-day war that resulted in at least forty-eight deaths and displaced some 300,000 people.
Under the renewed unrest, Cambodia reports that nine civilians have died and twenty were wounded, while Thailand has reported four soldiers killed and sixty-eight wounded.
Vast numbers of civilians have fled border areas in both countries.
The flare-up was triggered after a Thai soldier was severely injured by a landmine that Bangkok alleges was newly laid by Cambodian forces — an accusation Cambodia rejects.
Thai authorities subsequently suspended the de-escalation measures agreed upon in an October summit attended by Trump and pledged to respond firmly.
In contrast, senior advisers to Cambodia’s leadership have signaled Phnom Penh’s willingness to resume bilateral talks at any time — but stressed that any dialogue must be based on mutual goodwill.
At his rally in Pennsylvania, Trump reiterated his record as a peace broker in global conflict zones, noting that he had helped end wars such as those between Pakistan and India.
He said he would intervene again and make a direct phone call to address the Cambodia–Thailand conflict.
However, officials in Bangkok have voiced scepticism about third-party mediation.
Thailand’s foreign minister has indicated that the current circumstances are not conducive to external intervention, while Cambodia has insisted it remains open to talks — provided Thailand is willing.
The renewed fighting has involved artillery exchanges along large stretches of the disputed 817-kilometre border, with both sides accusing the other of targeting civilian areas or military infrastructure.
The scale of evacuations and displacement continues to grow as the conflict intensifies.
The coming hours may reveal whether Trump’s diplomatic outreach can persuade Bangkok and Phnom Penh to pause fighting and return to negotiations — or whether the skirmish will spiral into a deeper confrontation with broader regional consequences.
