Thailand and Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks, says Trump

US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed to have facilitated an agreement between Thailand and Cambodia to hold immediate talks aimed at halting ongoing border clashes that have left over 30 people dead and displaced more than 130,000.

In a series of posts on social media from Scotland, Trump said he had spoken with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand’s acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. He warned both governments that failure to end the conflict would jeopardise future trade deals with the United States.

“Both parties are looking for an immediate ceasefire and peace,” Trump wrote, adding that the two leaders had agreed to “quickly work out a ceasefire” and resume trade discussions.

Fighting along the disputed border entered its third consecutive day on Saturday, with fresh skirmishes reported in Thailand’s Trat province and Cambodia’s Pursat province. Thai authorities said seven soldiers and 13 civilians had been killed, while Cambodian officials reported the deaths of five soldiers and eight civilians.

The hostilities began after a Cambodian soldier was killed in late May. Tensions have since escalated, with troop reinforcements and diplomatic fallout placing strain on Thailand’s fragile coalition government.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his capacity as ASEAN chair, also called for restraint and urged a return to dialogue. Cambodia backs his ceasefire initiative, while Thailand says it agrees in principle.